RA 


HARRIET- LUMMIS  -SMITH 


ff 


THE 
GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 


Of  eitir. 


THE  GIRLS  OF 
FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Or :  Peggy  Raymond's  Success 


BY 
HARRIET   LTJMMIS   SMITH 


ILLUSTRATED   BY 

JOHN   GOSS 


BOSTON    %&    L.    C.    PAGE    & 
COMPANY     ^     MDCCCCXII 


Copyright,  1912 

BY  L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 
(INCORPORATED) 

All  rights  reserved 


First  Impression,  April,  1912 
Second  Impression,  November,  1912 


Eleetrotyped  and  Printed  by 
THE  COLONIAL  PRESS 
C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co.,  Boston,  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 


I.  THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY     . 

II.  THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR 

III.  MAKING  FRIENDS 

IV.  A  BUSY  AFTERNOON   . 
V.  A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY 

VI.  ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS 

VII.  THE  BAZAR  .... 

VIII.  AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS 

IX.  PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC 

X.  RUTH  Is  PERPLEXED  . 

XI.  CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS 

XII.  DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING 

XIII.  CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS 

XIV.  A  DISAGREEMENT 
XV.  A  PATHETIC  STORY     . 

XVI.  A  BELATED  INVITATION     . 

XVII.  ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION 

XVIII.  A  REMARKABLE  EVENING 

XIX.  AMY  Is  DISILLUSIONED 

XX.  AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC 

XXI.  AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  . 


1 

17 

34 

51 

68 

86 

100 

118 

132 

150 

166 

183 

202 

219 

236 

255 

271 

284 

299 

315 

335 


2132955 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PEGGY Frontispiece 

"  A  SHEETED  FIGURE  AT  THE  DOOR  WELCOMED 

EACH  COMER  WITH  EXTENDED  HAND  "  .  71 
"  THE  RAPIDITY  WITH  WHICH  THE  ICE  CREAM 

DISAPPEARED    WAS    STARTLING,    TO    SAY 

THE  LEAST  " 116 

"  STARING  WITH  SURPRISE  AT  HER  BROTHER'S 

CRESTFALLEN  FIGURE  "  .  .  .  .  226 
"  '  WHY  NOT  ASK  PEGGY?  '"  .  .  .  .267 
"  LUNCHEON  WAS  SERVED  SHORTLY  AFTER 

THEIR  ARRIVAL  "  .  320 


The 
Girls  of  Friendly  Terrace 


CHAPTER  I 

THE   RETURN   OF   PEGGY 

THE  naming  of  the  Terrace  was  a  happy 
accident.  It  must  have  been  an  accident,  for 
Jenkins  Avenue  crossed  it  at  right  angles,  and 
just  to  the  north  ran  Sixtieth  Street.  No  one 
could  have  guessed  when  the  Terrace  was  laid 
out  that  the  name  would  prove  so  appropriate, 
and  that  the  comfortable  cottages  would  have 
such  a  cordial,  neighborly  look,  as  if  nodding 
greetings  to  one  another  across  their  neat  strips 
of  lawn.  When  the  name  Friendly  Terrace 
appeared  on  the  street  lamps  at  the  corner 
there  were  no  smiling  faces  visible  at  the  front 
windows  of  the  houses,  no  plump  babies  roll- 
ing over  the  lawns,  no  girls  gathering  on  one 

another's  porches,  like  robins  in  the  boughs 

l 


2       THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

of  a  cherry  tree,  or  strolling  along  the  sidewalk, 
two  by  two,  with  their  arms  about  each  other's 
waists.  The  naming  of  the  Terrace  must  have 
been  a  happy  accident,  or  else  an  inspiration. 

There  was  usually  a  girl  in  evidence  on 
Friendly  Terrace  at  any  hour  of  the  day,  and 
this  morning  there  were  three  of  them.  They 
ranged  from  tall  Priscilla,  who  was  five  feet 
seven,  and  mortally  afraid  of  growing  taller, 
down  to  Amy,  who  was  almost  as  broad  as 
she  was  long,  and  who  was  in  a  chronic  state  of 
announcing  her  determination  to  leave  off 
eating  candy  next  week.  Ruth,  who  on  this 
occasion  served  as  the  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  two  extremes,  was  a  slender  girl, 
whose  alert  air  told  plainly  that  she  was  on 
the  watch  for  something  or  somebody. 

"  Once  when  my  Aunt  Fanny  wras  coming 
to  make  us  a  visit,"  Amy  observed  reminis- 
cently,  "  her  train  was  six  hours  late.  Just 
think  if  Peggy's  train  —  " 

"  Don't! "  exclaimed  Priscilla  rather  fret- 
fully, and  Ruth  said  with  decision,  "  O  Peggy's 
train  couldn't  be  late,  she's  coming  such  a  tiny 
bit  of  a  way." 


"  It  might  be  if  there  was  a  wreck,"  Amy 
insisted  triumphantly.  "  That  was  the  matter 
when  Aunt  Fanny  came.  A  freight  train  was 
wrecked  just  ahead  of  them,  and  they  had  to 
stand  on  the  track  for  hours  and  hours.  We 
waited  luncheon  for  her  till  I  was  almost 
starved." 

The  other  girls  exchanged  amused  smiles. 
The  thought  of  Amy,  undergoing  the  pangs  of 
starvation,  was  likely  to  present  itself  in  a 
humorous  light.  Amy  saw  the  look  and  un- 
derstood it,  but  was  far  from  being  offended. 
In  point  of  disposition,  Amy  was  as  sweet  as 
the  confections  she  was  always  on  the  point 
of  denying  herself.  An  appreciative  giggle 
showed  that  she  understood  her  friends'  point 
of  view. 

"  That's  always  the  way,"  she  said,  with 
unimpaired  cheerfulness.  "  Fat  people  never 
get  any  sympathy."  She  stopped  abruptly, 
for  Ruth  had  uttered  a  stifled  scream  and  was 
pinching  her  arm. 

"The  hack!"  cried  Ruth.  "The  hack's 
coming.  Peggy's  here." 

The  non-committal  vehicle,  rapidly  approach- 


4      THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

ing  from  the  direction  of  the  Avenue,  was  mud- 
stained  and  shabby,  but  the  appearance  of 
Cinderella's  golden  coach  would  hardly  have 
been  the  occasion  for  greater  excitement.  Ruth 
clasped  her  hands,  her  color  coming  and  going. 
Tall  Priscilla  forgot  her  dignity  and  capered 
like  a  five  year  old,  while  Amy  went  tripping 
down  the  street  to  meet  the  hack,  which,  of 
course,  passed  her,  reducing  her  to  the  neces- 
sity of  following  in  pursuit,  panting  and  very 
red  in  the  face.  All  along  the  Terrace  people 
came  to  the  windows  at  the  sound  of  wheels, 
for  from  the  mothers  down  to  the  babies,  every- 
one knew  that  Peggy  Raymond  was  coming 
home  that  morning.  Even  Taffy,  Peggy's 
dog,  bounded  out  to  add  his  mite  to  the  general 
welcome. 

"  Talk  of  the  intelligence  of  animals,"  gasped 
Priscilla,  as  Taffy  shot  between  Ruth  and  her- 
self, narrowly  avoiding  upsetting  both.  "  That 
dog  knows  it's  Peggy  just  as  well  as  we  do. 
O  why  don't  the  man  stop  in  the  right 
place?  " 

The  mud-splashed  vehicle  came  to  a  stand- 
still midway  between  Peggy's  home  and  the 


THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY 


vacant  cottage  next  door.  Before  it  had  fairly 
halted  the  girls  were  abreast  of  it. 

"  Here  we  are,  honey!  " 

"  Hurry  up!  We're  dying  for  a  sight  of 
you." 

"  O,  don't  be  such  a  slow-poke.  Even  Taffy 
is  losing  patience."  This  last  comment  was 
unnecessary,  as  Taffy  was  speaking  for  himself, 
barking  uproariously,  and  leaping  about  with 
an  air  of  the  keenest  anticipation. 

The  door  of  the  hack  opened,  and  very  de- 
liberately a  girl  stepped  out.  She  was  a  tall 
girl,  dressed  in  black,  which  added  to  her  ap- 
parent slenderness.  Her  lips,  which  suggested 
a  degree  of  self-repression,  unusual  in  a  girl  of 
her  age,  were  tightly  set.  She  did  not  look  in 
the  direction  of  the  crestfallen  trio  ranged  along 
the  sidewalk. 

"  Why!  "  cried  Amy,  who  had  an  odd  fash- 
ion of  announcing  discoveries  which  had  been 
apparent  to  everyone  for  some  time,  "  It  isn't 
Peggy  after  all." 

"  We  —  you  —  I  mean  we  thought  you  were 
somebody  else,"  explained  Priscilla,  with  con- 
siderably less  than  her  usual  self-confidence. 


6      THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

The  newcomer  took  as  little  notice  of  the 
stammered  apology  as  she  had  of  her  boister- 
ous welcome.  Silently  she  assisted  a  lady 
draped  in  mourning  to  alight,  and  together 
they  made  their  way  to  the  empty  cottage, 
which  displayed  in  the  front  window  the  sign, 
"  To  Rent."  The  hack  driver  grinned,  fully 
appreciating  the  little  comedy,  while  the  girls 
exchanged  glances  of  mingled  wrath  and  humil- 
iation. 

Amy  was  the  first  to  see  the  humorous  side. 
She  shut  her  eyes  and  staggered  to  the  fence 
for  support.  Her  peals  of  laughter  must  have 
been  plainly  audible  to  the  girl  who  was  trying 
the  key  in  the  front  door  of  the  vacant  cottage, 
but  the  latter  only  tightened  her  lips  and  did 
not  turn  her  head.  Ruth  and  Priscilla,  after 
staring  blankly  at  Amy  for  a  moment,  joined 
in  her  laughter,  though  in  a  rather  half-hearted 
fashion. 

"  She  looked  so  out  of  temper,"  gasped  Amy 
breathlessly.  "  And  we'd  been  calling  her 
'  honey '  and  telling  her  we  were  dying  to  see 
her.  O  dear! "  She  wiped  her  eyes,  and 
started  on  another  burst  of  merriment  which 


THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY 


almost  immediately  died  away  in  a  gurgle  of 
astonishment. 

"  Peggy!  "  Three  voices  pronounced  the 
name  at  once,  with  varied  intonations  of  sur- 
prise and  pleasure.  So  engrossed  had  they 
been  that  they  had  not  noticed  the  arrival  of 
a  second  hack,  which  with  magical  suddenness 
had  spilled  out  upon  the  sidewalk  a  large  girl 
and  a  small  one,  to  say  nothing  of  a  motley 
collection  of  suit-cases,  hand-bags,  bundles 
and  umbrellas.  Settling  with  the  hackman 
delayed  Peggy  a  half-minute,  and  the  girls 
arrived  at  the  gate  as  soon  as  she,  but  she 
waved  them  aside. 

"  First  kiss  for  mother,"  Peggy  cried,  and 
shot  straight  as  an  arrow  into  the  arms  of  the 
lady  who  stood  waiting  on  the  steps.  There 
was  a  long  clasp  and  more  kisses  than  one,  and 
none  of  Peggy's  friends  thought  the  less  of 
her  for  that  loyal  rush  for  the  one  who  loved 
her  best. 

It  was  no  wonder  that  Peggy  Raymond's 
return  was  an  event  on  Friendly  Terrace.  She 
was  the  sort  of  girl  you  could  not  see  without 
wishing  you  knew  her,  and  could  not  know 


8      THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

without  beginning  to  love  her.  From  her  red- 
dish-brown top-knot  down  to  the  tips  of  her 
toes  she  was  bubbling  over  with  life  and  joyous 
energy.  It  was  a  nice  world,  Peggy  thought, 
full  of  nice  people.  Every  to-morrow  was 
stored  for  her  with  wonderful  possibilities, 
as  the  yesterdays  were  full  of  sweet  recollec- 
tions. Complaining,  discontented  people  wa- 
kened in  her  the  same  sorrowful  wonder  she 
felt  when  she  saw  a  blind  man  feeling  his  un- 
certain way  along  the  street.  Indeed,  to  Peggy 
discontent  seemed  another  and  more  dreadful 
form  of  blindness. 

"  Come  into  the  house,  all  of  you."  Peggy 
was  making  up  for  the  brief  delay  by  kissing 
everybody  twice  around.  "  Hasn't  Dorothy 
grown,  girls?  Wouldn't  you  think  she  was 
more  than  four  years  old?  What  are  you  doing, 
Dorothy  darling?  " 

"  I'm  wipin'  off  kisses,"  Dorothy  replied 
with  great  distinctness,  scrubbing  violently 
at  her  rosebud  of  a  mouth.  "  'Cause  I  don't 
like  kisses  to  stick  on,  'cept  my  mamma's." 

"  She  says  that  because  she's  forgotten  you 
since  last  year,"  Peggy  explained  excusingly. 


THE    RETURN  OF  PEGGY  9 

"•  She'll  be  real  friendly  after  a  day  or  two.  0 
Amy,  dear,  you  mustn't  try  to  lift  that  heavy 
suit-case.  It  weighs  as  much  as  you  do." 

"  I'm  afraid  not.  I've  gained  three  pounds 
since  you  went  away,"  Amy  replied  dolefully. 
"  Next  week  I'm  going  to  stop  eating  candy, 
and  begin  to  walk  ten  miles  a  day." 

Everybody  laughed,  for,  when  hearts  are 
light,  old  jokes  serve  as  well  as  new  ones.  They 
streamed  into  the  house,  a  laden  procession, 
and  piled  Peggy's  belongings  in  the  middle  of 
the  living-room.  Then  they  pulled  her  down 
on  the  window-seat,  chafing  under  the  unde- 
niable difficulty  of  evenly  dividing  one  girl 
among  three. 

"  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you,  I  could  just  eat  you 
up,"  Amy  declared,  seating  herself  on  Peggy's 
knee,  as  each  of  the  others  had  preempted  a 
side.  "  And  to  think  of  your  staying  six 
weeks,  when  you  said  you'd  only  be  gone  a 
month." 

"  I  hated  to  leave  Alice,"  Peggy's  face 
clouded  for  a  moment,  as  she  spoke  her  sister's 
name.  "  She  isn't  a  bit  well.  You  know  we 
are  going  to  keep  Dorothy  with  us  for  a  while. 


10    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

She's  so  full  of  life  that  she's  a  tax  on  her 
mother." 

"  I  stood  on  a  tacks  once,"  observed  Dorothy, 
suddenly  becoming  interested.  "  It  sticked  into 
me,  and  I  hollered."  She  frowned  meditatively 
as  she  added,  "  I  don't  like  you  to  call  me  a 
tacks,  either." 

"  It's  another  kind,  darling.  O  girls,  you 
don't  know  how  good  it  seems  to  get  back  to 
the  Terrace,  where  people  know  each  other  and 
are  real  neighbors.  I  don't  see  how  Alice  stands 
it." 

"  Is  it  so  bad  living  in  a  very  big  city?  " 
Priscilla  asked,  rather  doubtfully.  "  I  believe 
I'd  love  it.  I  like  crowds  and  noise  and  some- 
thing happening  every  moment." 

Peggy  shook  her  head  with  decision.  "  Just 
wait  till  I  tell  you.  Alice  lives  in  a  flat,  and 
there's  only  one  woman  in  the  building  whom 
she'd  know  if  she  met  her  on  the  street.  One 
morning  while  I  was  there  we  heard  the  great- 
est commotion  in  the  flat  just  over  ours.  Some- 
body screamed,  and  then  we  could  hear  some- 
body else  hurrying  around  right  over  our  heads, 
and  then  there  was  the  sound  of  dreadful  cry- 


THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY  11 

ing.  The  windows  were  open,  you  know,  and 
we  heard  everything  as  plainly  as  you  hear  me." 

"  Well,  what  had  happened? "  Amy  de- 
manded, as  Peggy  paused  dramatically. 

"  That's  what  we  couldn't  imagine.  I  wanted 
to  rush  right  up  first  thing,  but  Alice  said  people 
didn't  do  that  way  in  big  cities,  and  that  she 
didn't  know  the  woman  at  all,  though  she 
thought  the  name  on  the  letter  box  was 
Flemming.  Well,  the  crying  kept  up  till  I 
couldn't  stand  it  any  longer.  I  just  walked 
upstairs  and  knocked,  and  when  the  girl 
came  to  the  door,  I  said  I  lived  on  the  next 
floor  and  I  was  afraid  that  somebody  was  in 
trouble  and  could  I  do  anything  to  help. 

"  O  girls!  "  Peggy's  voice  grew  pensive  at 
the  remembrance  of  that  sorrowful  scene.  "  I 
never  imagined  anything  so  dreadful.  The 
poor  woman  —  her  name  was  Fletcher  instead 
of  Flemming  —  had  just  had  word  that  her 
little  boy  had  been  hurt  by  an  automobile,  and 
taken  to  a  hospital.  And  she  was  so  upset  that 
she  didn't  know  how  to  get  ready  to  go  to  him, 
and  the  girl  was  so  stupid  that  she  didn't  know 
how  to  help  her.  And  I  rushed  around  and 


12    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

found  her  hat  and  coat  and  put  on  her  shoes  for 
her  —  she  was  wearing  slippers  —  and  did 
everything,  just  as  if  I'd  known  her  all  my  life. 
And  then  she  wouldn't  let  me  go,  and  I  went 
along  with  her  to  the  hospital.  She  told  me 
afterward  that  she  had  only  lived  in  the  city 
a  few  years  and  hadn't  made  many  friends.  A 
few  years!  "  repeated  Peggy  with  fine  scorn. 
"  Why,  if  anybody  on  this  Terrace  was  in 
trouble,  even  if  she  hadn't  lived  here  more  than 
six  weeks,  we'd  all  be  flocking  in  to  see  what 
we  could  do  for  her." 

"  Did  the  boy  die?  "  asked  Amy,  missing  the 
moral  Peggy  was  trying  to  point,  in  her  inter- 
est in  the  story. 

"  No,  indeed.  He  wasn't  hurt  as  badly  as 
they  thought  at  first.  He  was  home  again 
before  I  left,  such  a  nice  boy,  not  far  from  Dick's 
age.  0  here's  Dick  now." 

Peggy's  younger  brother,  Dick  Raymond, 
coming  in  at  that  moment,  said,  "  Hello, 
Peggy,"  in  the  most  matter-of-fact  manner 
imaginable  and  submitted  with  apparent  resig- 
nation to  his  sister's  kiss.  But  no  one  was 
deceived.  Dick's  admiration  of  Peggy  was 


THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY  13 

an  open  secret  in  Friendly  Terrace.  The  boy 
was  hot  and  perspiring.  He  had  run  all  the 
way  home  from  his  music  teacher's,  so  impatient 
was  he  for  a  glimpse  of  the  dearest  as  well  as 
the  most  remarkable  girl  in  the  world,  as  he 
firmly  believed,  and  yet  at  the  sight  of  her,  he 
had  only  a  "  hello  Peggy,"  and  a  shame-faced 
kiss.  Luckily  Peggy  was  not  the  sort  of  girl 
who  needed  to  be  told  certain  things.  She 
understood  without  any  explanation. 

"  Guess  we're  going  to  have  some  new  neigh- 
bors," Dick  observed,  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow, apparently  glad  of  an  opportunity  to 
change  the  topic  of  the  conversation. 

"Who?  Where?  The  next  house?  "  Peggy 
stood  looking  over  her  brother's  shoulder,  as 
two  people  came  from  the  vacant  cottage  and 
moved  toward  the  waiting  hack.  Her  eyes 
dwelt  approvingly  on  the  slender  figure  of  a 
black-gowned  girl,  carefully  assisting  the  older 
lady  into  the  carriage. 

"  Girls!  "  Peggy's  voice  fairly  tinkled,  as 
she  made  the  pleasant  announcement.  "  It 
looks  as  if  we  might  be  going  to  have  another 
girl  on  the  Terrace.  Won't  that  be  fine?  " 


14     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

The  others  exchanged  dubious  glances.  "  Al- 
ways room  for  one  more,  I  suppose,"  Priscilla 
said  at  last. 

"  And  she  looks  like  such  a  sweet  girl,  too," 
Peggy  continued,  as  the  shabby  hack  rumbled 
off.  "  She  had  such  a  nice  way  of  helping  her 
mother  —  that  is,  I  suppose  it's  her  mother." 

Amy  coughed  in  an  embarrassed  fashion, 
and  Ruth  said  hastily,  "  We  took  her  for  you 
at  first,  Peggy.  We  were  watching  for  your 
hack,  you  know,  and  hers  came  first.' ' 

"  I  imagine  she  must  have  thought  us  very 
cordial  to  strangers,"  Priscilla  added,  choking 
down  a  laugh,  as  she  remembered  the  con- 
temptuous indifference  of  the  girl  who  had 
received  a  welcome  intended  for  somebody 
else. 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  the  innocent  Peggy. 
"  Because  that  may  help  them  in  making  up 
their  minds  to  come  here.  And  I  don't  like  to 
have  a  vacant  house  on  the  Terrace.  It  re- 
minds me  of  a  child  shedding  its  first  teeth. 
The  more  smiling  and  pleasant  it  looks,  the 
more  you  notice  that  something  is  missing." 

From  across  the  street  somebody  whistled, 


THE  RETURN  OF  PEGGY  15 

a  rather  peculiar  whistle,  long  and  piercing. 
Ruth  jumped  to  her  feet. 

"  It's  Graham,"  she  said.  "  What  is  he  doing 
home  at  this  time  in  the  morning?  0, 1  wonder 
if  luncheon  really  can  be  ready?  " 

"  Of  course  it  can,"  Amy  cried  tragically. 
"  I'm  nearly  starved.  I  couldn't  eat  any 
breakfast  this  morning,  I  was  so  excited  be- 
cause Peggy  was  coming." 

"  You'll  be  over  this  afternoon,  won't  you, 
Peggy?  "  Priscilla  asked  as  she  rose  to  go,  and 
her  face  fell  slightly  as  Peggy  answered,  "  Why, 
of  course.  I'll  run  in  to  see  all  of  you."  It  was 
just  a  little  hard  for  Priscilla  to  remember  that 
her  claim  on  Peggy  was  in  no  sense  superior 
to  that  of  the  other  girls.  She  was  one  of  the 
people  who  liked  to  be  first,  and,  though  gener- 
ous enough  with  her  other  possessions,  she 
found  it  hard  to  share  her  friend.  Yet  there 
were  moments  when  Priscilla  acknowledged  to 
herself  that  a  fraction  of  Peggy's  affection  was 
worth  more  than  the  undivided  devotion  other 
girls  had  given  her  in  the  fervid  friendships 
which,  in  a  few  weeks  or  months  at  the  outside, 
had  burned  themselves  out. 


16    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Peggy  was  as  good  as  her  word.  But  when 
she  crossed  the  street  that  afternoon,  on  her 
way  to  Priscilla's,  she  noticed  that  the  sign 
"  To  Rent  "  had  disappeared  from  the  window 
of  the  house  next  door.  "  That  means  new 
neighbors,  certain  sure,"  thought  Peggy  hope- 
fully. Nor  did  she  guess  what  a  new  element 
her  prospective  neighbors  were  to  introduce 
into  the  cheerful  atmosphere  of  Friendly  Ter- 
race. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   GIRL   NEXT  DOOR 

A  DELICIOUS  odor  was  gradually  pervading 
the  Raymond  cottage,  a  spicy  fragrance  which 
of  itself  was  suggestive  of  Peggy's  return.  For 
Peggy's  accomplishments  were  of  a  practical 
sort.  The  crayon  which  adorned  the  wall  of 
her  mother's  bed-room,  and  which  represented 
Peggy's  supreme  achievement  in  the  field  of 
art,  had  been  the  subject  of  considerable  dis- 
cussion in  the  family.  Dick  insisted  that  a 
prominent  object  hi  the  foreground  was  a  New- 
foundland dog,  while  his  mother  accepted 
Peggy's  assurance  that  it  was  a  sheep  grazing, 
and  refused  to  listen  to  the  arguments  by  which 
Dick  supported  his  position.  As  a  musician, 
too,  Peggy  had  her  obvious  limitations,  but 
when  it  came  to  transforming  the  cold  potatoes, 
and  the  unpromising  ends  of  the  roast  left 

from  dinner,  into  an  appetizing  luncheon,  it 

17 


18    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

would  be  hard  to  find  Peggy's  equal;  while 
the  fame  of  her  sponge  cake  and  her  ginger- 
bread had  spread  far  beyond  the  confines  of  the 
Terrace.  And  since  this  is  a  practical  world, 
with  very  commonplace  needs,  there  is  much 
to  be  said  in  favor  of  such  accomplishments  as 
Peggy  cultivated. 

She  moved  about  the  spotless  kitchen  with 
a  quick,  light  step,  humming  under  her  breath 
something  which,  if  not  exactly  a  tune,  was, 
nevertheless,  like  the  chirp  of  a  cricket,  or  the 
purring  of  a  tea-kettle,  very  pleasant  to  hear. 
In  her  blue  gingham  apron,  with  her  sleeves 
rolled  to  the  elbow,  she  looked  decidedly  busi- 
nesslike, though  the  costume  was  far  from  being 
unbecoming.  Indeed  Dick,  sitting  on  the 
window-sill,  gravely  observant  of  Peggy's  oc- 
cupation, noticed  how  the  heat  from  the  range 
had  deepened  the  pink  on  his  sister's  cheeks, 
and  told  himself  that  Peggy  was  growing  pretty. 
Not  for  worlds  would  he  have  said  as  much  to 
Peggy  herself,  but,  for  all  that,  the  discovery 
gave  him  the  greatest  satisfaction. 

"  Put  on  plenty  of  sugar  and  cinnamon  now," 
Dick  advised  from  his  precarious  perch  on  the 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  19 

window-sill.  "  You'd  ought  to  have  tasted  the 
cinnamon  rolls  Sally  made  while  you  were  gone. 
She  scrimped  on  the  sugar  and  the  cinnamon, 
you  see,  and  you  wouldn't  have  known  what 
you  were  eating.  What's  the  good  of  making 
cinnamon  rolls  at  all,  if  you're  going  to 
scrimp?  " 

"That's  right,  Dick,"  Peggy  agreed.  "If 
you're  going  to  do  anything,  put  enough  into 
it  so  that  it  will  amount  to  something  when  it's 
done."  Peggy  was  not  given  to  lecturing  her 
younger  brother  after  the  fashion  of  some  girls, 
but  she  had  a  habit  of  hanging  little  sentence 
sermons  on  pegs  which  chanced  to  be  available 
—  cinnamon  rolls,  in  this  instance.  And  Dick, 
who  would  have  turned  sulky  in  a  moment  if 
he  had  suspected  Peggy  of  "  preaching,"  looked 
thoughtful,  and  stowed  the  suggestion  away 
for  further  reference. 

Peggy  went  on  rolling,  cutting,  sifting  on 
cinnamon  with  lavish  hand  and  adding  little 
dabs  of  butter  until  the  second  pan  of  rolls  was 
ready  for  the  oven.  Then  Dorothy,  standing 
by  the  open  door,  made  a  startling  announce- 
ment. "  House  is  a-fire!  House  is  a-fire!  " 


20    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"0  Dorothy!"  Peggy  flew  to  the  door, 
and  turned  in  the  direction  in  which  the  chubby 
finger  was  pointing.  As  she  looked,  the  kitchen 
window  in  the  next  house  was  lowered  and  a 
cloud  of  black  smoke  escaped,  accompanied  by 
an  odor  which  caused  Dorothy  to  wrinkle  her 
nose  and  say  disgustedly,  "  Glad  I  don't  live 
in  that  house." 

"They  let  something  on  the  stove  burn; 
beans,  I  guess,"  said  Peggy,  sniffing  wisely. 
"  It's  dreadful  trying  to  cook  while  you  are 
getting  settled  after  moving."  She  looked 
thoughtfully  toward  the  house  next  door,  which 
presented  the  forlorn  appearance  to  be  expected 
considering  that  the  tenants  had  moved  in  only 
the  day  before.  Through  the  uncurtained  win- 
dows Peggy  caught  glimpses  of  incongruous 
groups  of  furniture,  of  step-ladders  standing 
aimlessly  in  the  midst  of  the  confusion,  of  pic- 
tures leaning  precariously  against  the  wall. 
To  Peggy  the  sight  was  like  an  audible  appeal 
for  help. 

"  I  might  take  them  some  of  my  cinnamon 
rolls,"  she  exclaimed,  turning  to  Dick. 

"  Take  who?  "     As  long  as  Dick  made  his 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  21 

meaning  clear,  he  was  never  troubled  as  to 
grammatical  correctness. 

"  Why,  the  next  door  people.  It  would  make 
them  feel  as  though  they  really  had  neighbors, 
and,  of  course,  I  can't  go  over  to  see  the  girl 
till  the  house  is  settled." 

"  If  you'd  been  going  to  do  that,"  Dick  said 
rather  reprovingly,  "  you  ought  to  have  baked 
more  than  two  pans.  But  then,"  he  added  with 
an  evident  effort  to  be  generous,  "  I  guess  they 
need  them  more  than  we  do.  Go  ahead." 

The  rolls  came  out  of  the  oven  just  the 
golden-brown  that  Peggy  wanted.  Peggy  might 
draw  a  sheep  that  looked  like  an  own  cousin 
to  a  Newfoundland  dog,  but  she  had  the  joy 
of  a  real  artist  in  her  cookery.  With  shining 
eyes  she  gazed  upon  the  work  of  her  hand. 
"  They're  perfect,"  she  announced,  with  an 
unsuccessful  effort  at  a  judicial  air. 

"  They  do  look  good  enough  to  eat,"  Dick 
agreed.  "  Say,  give  me  one.  I'm  hungry." 

"  And  I'm  hungry,  too,"  cried  Dorothy, 
edging  close. 

"  When  the  next  pan  comes  out,"  Peggy 
promised,  "I'll  run  over  with  these  so  our 


22    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

neighbors  will  know  what  they've  got  to  de- 
pend on  for  luncheon."  She  set  her  rolls  on  a 
plate,  threw  a  napkin  over  them,  and  without 
stopping  to  remove  her  apron,  crossed  the 
yard  to  the  next  house.  The  kitchen  window 
was  still  open,  and  as  Peggy  stood  upon  the 
steps  she  heard  the  sharp  tinkle  of  broken  glass. 

"  There's  something  gone  to  smash.  Dear 
me,  what  a  tune  they're  having,"  thought 
Peggy,  wishing  her  acquaintance  with  the  new 
arrivals  was  sufficiently  advanced  so  that  she 
could  offer  to  lend  her  aid,  for  her  capable  fingers 
fairly  itched  to  assist  in  bringing  order  out 
of  the  chaos  within.  She  knocked,  and,  after 
waiting  for  some  minutes,  knocked  again,  this 
tune  a  little  louder. 

"  Elaine!  "  a  voice  cried.  "  Elaine!  Some- 
body's at  the  back  door." 

"  O  dear!  "  someone  else  said  distinctly,  and 
Peggy's  color  heightened,  even  though  she  felt 
confident  that  the  speaker's  mood  would  change 
as  soon  as  she  knew  her  caller's  errand.  "  So 
her  name  is  Elaine,"  Peggy  thought,  as  foot- 
steps slow,  and  seemingly  reluctant,  sounded 
on  the  bare  floors.  "  Such  a  pretty  name." 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  23 

The  door  opened  violently  and  a  girl  looked 
out.  It  was  the  same  black-gowned  girl  Peggy 
had  watched  from  her  window  a  few  days  earlier, 
but,  on  this  occasion,  her  appearance  was  de- 
cidedly less  prepossessing.  Apparently  she 
had  neglected  to  comb  her  hair  that  morning, 
or  else  her  forenoon's  occupation  had  been 
strenuous  enough  to  obliterate  all  traces  of  that 
ceremony.  Her  apron  was  soiled.  She  wore 
an  expression  of  weary  discouragement,  which 
seemed  as  incongruous  with  her  girlish  face  as 
white  hair  would  have  done.  The  eyes  she 
turned  upon  Peggy  were  anything  but  friendly, 
and  yet  at  the  sight  of  her,  Peggy's  heart 
swelled  with  a  sympathy  that  was  almost 
tender. 

"  Good  morning!  "  Peggy  extended  her 
offering  with  a  cordial  smile.  "  I  know  how 
busy  you  must  be  getting  settled,  and  I  brought 
you  over  a  plate  of  rolls.  I  live  — 

"  We  don't  care  to  buy  anything  this  morn- 
ing," said  the  girl,  and  made  a  movement  as 
if  to  close  the  door.  Peggy's  face  flamed  to 
the  roots  of  her  hair. 

"  0,  you  don't  understand,"  she  cried.    "  I'm 


24    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

a  neighbor  of  yours.  I've  brought  you  over  a 
plate  of  cinnamon  rolls,  I've  just  finished  ba- 
king. They're  not  for  sale." 

Elaine  was  a  rather  pale  girl.  But  as  Peggy 
finished  her  little  speech,  two  spots  of  red 
showed  in  the  other's  thin  cheeks. 

"  We're  not  objects  of  charity,  thank  you," 
she  said.  The  door  shut  with  a  slam.  Peggy, 
her  rejected  offering  in  her  hand,  stood  be- 
wildered on  the  step.  For  a  moment  she 
battled  with  the  temptation  to  push  open  the 
door  and  force  the  girl  inside  to  listen  to  reason. 
With  a  choked  laugh,  that  covered  not  a  little 
humiliation,  she  realized  the  folly  of  such  a 
proceeding  and  turned  away. 

Peggy's  eyes  were  absent  as  she  entered  the 
house.  She  took  the  second  pan  of  rolls  from 
the  oven  without  feeling  any  disposition  to 
gloat  over  their  yellow-brown  perfection.  Then, 
remembering  her  promise  to  Dick  and  Dorothy, 
she  put  some  of  the  rolls  on  a  plate  and  carried 
them  into  the  next  room.  Her  thoughts  were 
still  full  of  the  rebuff  she  had  received  from  her 
new  neighbor,  and  when  she  had  set  the  plate 
of  rolls  on  the  table  she  stood  with  clasped 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  25 

hands,  looking  hard  at  nothing  in  particular, 
and  frowning  over  her  reflections. 

"  How  glad  she  is  to  see  us!  " 

"  Yes,  just  notice  her  smile." 

"  Probably  those  are  city  manners,  girls. 
We'll  have  to  get  used  to  it." 

A  volley  of  mocking  laughter  followed  these 
observations,  and  Peggy  started  guiltily. 

"  I  didn't  see  you,"  she  apologized,  as  three 
girls  popped  up  from  the  window-seat  and 
approached  her. 

"  Don't  try  to  get  out  of  it,  Peggy,"  teased 
Priscilla,  slipping  her  arm  about  Peggy's  waist. 
"  You  know  you  can't  be  glad  to  see  us  with 
such  a  face." 

"  0,  Peggy!  What  delicious  rolls!  "  Amy 
hung  over  the  plate  with  an  ecstatic  gasp. 
"  Don't  they  look  as  if  they'd  melt  in  your 
mouth." 

"  Help  yourself,"  Peggy  cried.    "  All  of  you." 

"  They'll  make  you  fat,  Amy,"  warned 
Ruth,  extending  a  slim  hand.  "  Priscilla  and 
I  can  eat  all  we  want,  but  you'll  have  to  refuse. 
You  know  you're  going  to  leave  off  eating 
candy." 


26    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Well,  they're  not  candy,  and,  besides,  I'd 
rather  gain  a  few  ounces  than  turn  down  such 
darlings,"  Amy  replied  recklessly.  Suiting 
the  action  to  the  word  she  set  her  teeth  in  the 
golden-brown  crust.  "  They're  as  good  as 
they  look,"  she  announced  indistinctly.  "  Say, 
Peggy,  are  these  the  kind  you  took  over  to  the 
house  next  door?  Dick  said  that  was  what 
you  went  out  for." 

Peggy  nodded,  her  face  betraying  the  pe- 
culiarly guilty  expression  that  sensitive  people 
wear  when  fearing  that  they  will  be  forced  to 
betray  the  wrongdoing  of  someone  else.  Pris- 
cilla  eyed  her  suspiciously. 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  that  there  could  have 
been  a  nicer  introduction,"  Amy  remarked 
with  her  mouth  full.  "  How  lovely  it  would 
be  if  all  callers  brought  cinnamon  rolls  instead 
of  visiting  cards." 

"  What  happened,  Peggy?  "  demanded  Pris- 
cilla,  reading  her  friend's  tell-tale  face  as  if  it  had 
been  an  open  book.  "Weren't  they  nice  to  you?" 

"  Nice! "  cried  Ruth,  flaring  up  at  the  mere 
suggestion  of  ill-treating  Peggy.  "  Why 
shouldn't  they  be  nice?  " 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  27 

"  Peggy's  blushing,"  exclaimed  Amy,  an- 
nouncing a  discovery  sufficiently  obvious  to 
the  least  discerning.  "  She's  blushing  as  red 
as  fire.  Peggy  Raymond,  what  has  hap- 
pened? " 

"  It  really  wasn't  anything,"  said  poor  Peggy, 
fairly  cornered.  "  Only  - 

"  Well?  " 

"Only  she  didn't  quite  understand." 

"  Who  didn't?  That  snippy,  disagreeable 
girl,  who  puts  on  such  ridiculous  airs  of  being 
better  than  other  people?  " 

Peggy's  eyes  widened  over  the  vivid  de- 
scription whose  appropriateness  she  was  forced 
to  admit.  "  I  saw  the  girl,"  she  replied  hastily. 
"  Her  name's  Elaine,  I  think." 

"  We  don't  care  about  her  name,  Peggy. 
What  did  she  do?  " 

"  At  first  she  thought  I'd  come  to  sell  the 
rolls,  and  she  said  they  didn't  care  to  buy 
anything." 

"  Peggy  a  pedler!  I  never  heard  anything 
so  funny!  "  Amy  sat  down  on  the  floor  to 
laugh,  but  her  amusement  did  not  communi- 
cate itself  to  the  others.  Ruth's  face  still  wore 


28    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

a  protesting  frown,  and  Priscilla's  eyes  were 
flashing. 

"  A  pedler!  "  Priscilla  repeated  disdainfully. 
"  She  must  be  very  observing.  Well,  Peggy. 
After  you  explained  - 

"  That  seemed  to  make  it  all  the  worse," 
admitted  Peggy,  finding  a  little  relief,  it  must 
be  acknowledged,  in  the  sympathy  called  out 
by  her  confession.  "  She  can't  have  been  used 
to  neighbors,  that's  sure.  She  said  they  weren't 
objects  of  charity,  and  shut  the  door  in  my 
face." 

An  indignant  explosion  followed,  when  every- 
body talked  at  once.  Then  Dorothy  bobbing 
up  as  unexpectedly  as  a  Jack  in  a  box,  poured 
oil  on  the  troubled  waters  by  offering  a  sug- 
gestion. "  Maybe  they  fought  the  currants 
was  flies.  I  did  till  I  bited  'em." 

"  0,  Dorothy,  what  a  killing  child  you  are!  " 
cried  Amy,  giving  way  to  helpless  laughter, 
and  this  time  she  had  plenty  of  company. 
Peggy  was  the  only  one  of  the  quartet  who 
made  any  effort  to  conceal  her  merriment, 
Peggy  having  a  singular  theory  that  children 
should  be  treated  just  as  courteously  as  older 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  29 

people.  She  looked  regretfully  at  the  small, 
erect  figure  marching  out  of  the  room  with 
an  air  of  stately  displeasure.  "  0  dear! " 
she  sighed.  "  I'm  afraid  we've  hurt  her 
feelings.  Dorothy  does  hate  to  be  laughed 
at." 

"  Then  she'd  better  give  up  making  such 
speeches,"  remarked  Amy,  wiping  her  eyes. 
"  But  to  go  back  to  Peggy's  new  friend  — 
Elaine  —  " 

"  Yes,  just  to  think  of  her  slamming  the  door 
in  Peggy's  face,"  cried  Ruth,  whose  customary 
gentleness  had  quite  disappeared  in  resent- 
ment over  Peggy's  snubbing.  "  If  she  doesn't 
want  neighbors  she  needn't  have  any.  I  move 
that  we  let  her  alone,  just  as  much  as  if  she 
lived  down  town  somewhere." 

"  We  didn't  tell  you,  Peggy,"  Priscilla  ex- 
claimed, taking  up  the  tale.  "  But  we  found 
out  the  sort  of  girl  she  was  the  day  you  came. 
We  thought  it  was  your  hack,  you  know,  and 
we  rushed  to  grab  you  the  minute  you  stepped 
out,  and  we  were  all  screaming  for  you  to  hurry, 
and  when  this  girl  got  out  we  felt  cheap  enough 
to  go  right  through  the  sidewalk." 


30    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Yes,  we  did,"  interrupted  Amy.  "  If  there 
had  been  an  open  coal-hole  handy  it  would 
have  taken  me  about  five  seconds  to  disap- 
pear." 

"  The  way  she  took  it  showed  the  sort  of 
girl  she  is,"  insisted  Priscilla.  "  Instead  of 
smiling,  or  saying  that  it  didn't  matter,  she 
acted  as  if  we'd  been  so  many  hitching-posts 
standing  in  a  row.  Didn't  see  us  or  hear  us, 
either.  I  knew  in  a  minute  that  I'd  never 
have  any  use  for  her  if  she  lived  here  a  thousand 
years." 

"  That's  just  the  way  I  feel,"  said  Ruth. 

"  Me,  too,"  exclaimed  Amy  from  the  rug, 
and  absent-mindedly  she  reached  for  another 
cinnamon  roll. 

It  was  Peggy's  turn.  "  O,  girls,"  she  pleaded, 
in  tones  of  distress.  "  Let's  not  be  in  such  a 
hurry  to  make  up  our  minds.  You  see,  we've 
hardly  seen  anything  of  her." 

"  Quite  enough,"  observed  Priscilla. 

"  And  things  were  rather  against  her  both 
times,"  continued  Peggy,  disregarding  the  in- 
terruption. "  When  we  come  to  know  her  we 
may  like  her  awfully  well." 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  31 

A  depressing  silence  implied  that  no  one  but 
Peggy  herself  thought  such  a  result  at  all 
probable. 

"  And,  anyway,"  concluded  Peggy,  falling 
back  on  the  supreme  argument,  "  she  hasn't 
tried  living  in  Friendly  Terrace  yet.  We  don't 
know  what  that  will  do  for  her.  Instead  of 
letting  her  alone,  I  think  we'd  better  show  her 
what  it  means  to  have  neighbors  of  the  neigh- 
borly kind." 

It  did  not  appear  that  a  continuation  of  the 
discussion  was  likely  to  bring  them  into  agree- 
ment. Amy  tried  changing  the  subject.  "  Do 
you  know  what  this  roll  reminds  me  of  ?  "  she 
asked,  looking  thoughtfully  at  the  fragments 
in  her  hand. 

No  one  could  imagine. 

"  The  first  time  I  ever  tasted  one  of  Peggy's 
rolls,"  Amy  explained,  "  it  was  on  a  picnic  at 
the  Park.  It  was  the  time  that  Ruth  fell  into 
the  lake,  feeding  the  swans." 

"  I'd  forgotten  the  rolls,  but  I  remember 
that  picnic,"  Ruth  said.  "  The  picnics  this 
year  didn't  seem  like  the  real  thing,"  she 
added  disconsolately,  "  with  Peggy  gone." 


32     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  'Tisn't  too  late  for  another,"  Priscilla  cried. 
"  Why  not  go  to-morrow?  " 

If  the  quartet  had  failed  to  agree  on  the 
subject  of  Peggy's  next-door  neighbor  there 
was  no  lack  of  unanimity  as  far  as  the  picnic 
was  concerned.  In  five  minutes  it  was  ar- 
ranged that  Ruth  was  to  bring  the  sandwiches 
and  Amy  the  fudge,  while  Peggy  had  agreed  to 
get  up  early  and  make  some  little  sponge  cakes. 

"  You  won't  mind  if  I  bring  Dorothy,  will 
you,  girls?  "  Peggy  inquired  anxiously.  "  You 
see,  she  really  does  make  a  lot  of  extra  work, 
she's  such  a  mischief,  and  I  don't  want  to  leave 
too  much  for  mother  to  do." 

It  was  the  general  opinion  that  Dorothy's 
presence  would  add  to  the  gaiety  of  the  picnic, 
and,  after  completing  their  plans,  the  friends 
parted  with  looks  expressive  of  cheerful  antici- 
pation. But  Peggy's  bright  face  clouded  over 
as  she  glanced  a  little  later  toward  the  next 
house,  and  saw,  perched  upon  the  top  of  a  step- 
ladder,  a  slender,  girlish  figure,  with  an  in- 
definable ah"  of  dejection  and  helplessness. 

"  0  dear!  I  shall  be  glad  when  she's  lived 
in  the  Terrace  long  enough  to  be  one  of  us," 


THE  GIRL  NEXT  DOOR  33 

Peggy  thought.  "  All  the  trouble  is  that  we 
don't  understand  one  another.  As  soon  as 
we're  acquainted  everything  will  be  all  right, 
and  nobody '11  have  to  be  left  out." 


CHAPTER  III 

MAKING    FRIENDS 

IT  was  just  as  well,  as  things  turned  out,  that 
Peggy  had  resolved  on  an  early  start  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  Dimly  through  the  grey 
dawn  she  became  aware  of  an  elfish,  white- 
gowned  figure  perched  on  the  foot  of  the  bed. 
Her  sleepy  questionings  as  to  its  identity  were 
dispelled  by  a  sweet,  high-pitched  voice. 

"  Now  this  is  down  to  the  sea  shore,  Aunt 
Peggy,  and  that's  the  water  where  you  are. 
Bime-by  I'm  going  to  dive  and  make  a  big 
splash." 

Before  Peggy  could  protest,  Dorothy  had 
carried  out  her  intention,  descending  on  her 
shrinking  relative  like  an  avalanche.  "  Kick, 
Aunt  Peggy!  Kick  hard!"  she  shouted,  dis- 
appointed at  Peggy's  failure  to  enter  into  the 
sport,  with  the  spirit  due  its  dramatic  possibili- 
ties. "  That's  what  makes  the  waves." 

34 


MAKING  FRIENDS  35 

But  Peggy  was  beyond  kicking.  When  she 
had  succeeded  in  dislodging  Dorothy  from  a 
commanding  position  on  her  chest,  she  indulged 
herself  in  several  deep  breaths  before  saying 
plaintively,  "  0,  Dorothy,  why  did  you  wake 
so  early?  It  isn't  time  to  get  up  yet." 

"  It's  time  to  get  up  for  a  picnic  day,"  in- 
sisted Dorothy.  "  And  you've  got  to  cook 
luncheon,  Aunt  Peggy,  and  can  I  wear  my 
rubber  boots  and  take  my  dolly  and  my  blue 
celluloid  comb?  " 

Further  sleep  was  out  of  the  question.  Ma- 
king a  virtue  of  necessity,  Peggy  jumped  out  of 
bed,  reflecting  that  this  early  start  would  give 
the  frosting  on  her  cakes  a  chance  to  harden. 
Getting  Dorothy  dressed  was  a  process  re- 
quiring time  and  patience,  for  the  child  was  so 
excited  by  the  festivities  in  prospect  that  she 
could  hardly  stand  still  long  enough  to  allow 
a  button  to  be  popped  into  its  rightful  button- 
hole. Inventors  interested  in  perpetual  mo- 
tion should  have  made  a  study  of  Dorothy. 
She  interrupted  the  process  of  getting  her  fat 
little  legs  into  their  black  stockings  by  so  many 
fantastic  capers  that  Peggy  forgot  the  loss  of 


36    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

her  morning  nap  in  helpless  laughter,  and  the 
day  began  cheerfully  after  all. 

By  breakfast  time  the  comfortable  odor  of 
sponge  cake  diffused  through  the  house,  told 
that  Peggy  had  made  good  use  of  her  tune.  It 
penetrated  Dick's  bed-room,  and  that  young 
man,  under  the  mistaken  impression  that  he 
was  sniffing  the  fragrance  of  waffles,  rose  in 
haste  and  reached  the  breakfast  table  on  time, 
an  unusual  feat  for  Dick,  who  dearly  loved  the 
last  minutes  in  bed,  and,  as  a  rule,  needed  to 
be  called  three  times  before  responding. 

Dorothy  was  too  excited  to  eat.  She  had 
made  a  collection  of  cherished  belongings  to 
take  with  her  to  the  Park,  and  tact,  as  well  as 
logic,  was  needed  to  convince  her  that  the  occa- 
sion did  not  call  for  a  pink  parasol  or  a  tooth 
brush.  A  compromise  was  finally  reached  by 
virtue  of  which  Dorothy  agreed  to  leave  all 
her  belongings  at  home,  with  the  exception  of 
her  "  shut-eye  doll,"  on  the  understanding  that 
she  was  to  be  allowed  to  help  in  packing  the 
lunch  basket.  This  ordinarily  prosaic  task 
proved  quite  exciting  that  morning,  owing  to 
Dorothy's  propensity  to  smuggle  in  such  ar- 


MAKING  FRIENDS  37 

tides  from  the  sideboard  as  appealed  to  her 
as  attractive  and  desirable. 

A  little  after  nine  the  girls  began  to  arrive. 
Priscilla  and  Ruth  came  up  the  walk  at  almost 
the  same  minute,  and  they  all  settled  them- 
selves to  wait  for  Amy.  It  was  understood  that 
they  must  always  wait  for  Amy,  though,  sin- 
gularly enough,  Amy  always  had  a  brand-new 
reason  for  her  invariable  delays.  Either  her 
shoe-string  broke  at  the  last  minute  or  some- 
one called  her  up  on  the  telephone,  or  her  hat 
pins  had  disappeared,  or  some  other  unforeseen 
event  interfered  with  her  inate  propensity  to 
promptness.  Amy's  friends  listened  with  cheer- 
ful disrespect  to  her  latest  excuses,  and  Amy 
was  the  only  one  of  them  all  who  accepted  them 
at  their  face  value  and  honestly  believed  her- 
self the  soul  of  punctuality. 

At  quarter  of  ten  Amy  appeared,  puffing  a 
little,  to  show  how  she  had  hurried,  and  ex- 
plaining that  the  fudge  had  refused  to  harden. 
The  other  baskets  were  grouped  upon  the  porch 
and  the  girls  sat  in  a  row  on  the  steps,  discuss- 
ing some  of  the  interesting  events  which  had 
taken  place  along  the  Terrace  during  Peggy's 


absence.  At  Amy's  approach  Peggy  jumped 
briskly  to  her  feet. 

"  We're  all  ready  now,"  she  said.  "  Where's 
Dorothy  disappeared  to?  0,  Dorothy!  We're 
going  to  start  now." 

There  was  no  answer.  "  Dorothy!  "  Peggy 
called  again,  "  Come  quick.  The  picnic's  going 
to  begin." 

This  assurance  was  effective.  At  the  end  of 
the  hall  appeared  a  mysterious  figure  which 
moved  toward  the  door  with  hesitating  and 
uncertain  steps.  A  weird,  white  drapery  con- 
cealed its  face,  and  fell  in  flowing  folds  to  its 
shoulders.  Amy  was  the  first  to  perceive  its 
appearance  and  she  let  fall  her  basket  and 
squealed. 

"  What  is  it?  "  she  cried  wildly,  as  Peggy, 
at  the  other  end  of  the  porch,  turned  upon  her 
a  startled  countenance,  "  O,  what  is  it?  " 

"  What's  what?  "  Peggy  flew  to  answer  her 
own  question.  At  the  sight  which  had  alarmed 
Amy  she  stood  as  if  petrified,  her  lips  apart, 
and  broken  fragments  of  sentences  escaping 
at  intervals. 

Meanwhile    the    slow-moving    figure    had 


MAKING  FRIENDS  39 

reached  the  door.  From  beneath  the  mysteri- 
ous drapery  came  the  sound  of  a  stifled  wail. 
Peggy  came  to  herself  with  a  start. 

"  Dorothy!  "  she  cried.  "  What  have  you 
got  over  yourself  ?  "  She  touched  the  drapery 
with  shrinking  fingers.  It  was  sticky,  clinging. 
The  fragment  she  touched  fell  off  at  her  feet. 

"  I  smell  —  yeast,"  exclaimed  Peggy  snif- 
fing. "Yeast!"  She  looked  about  her  wildly. 
"  Girls,  it's  bread-sponge." 

"  She'll  smother,"  exclaimed  the  practical 
Priscilla,  and  forthwith  clawed  an  opening  in 
the  sticky  mass,  through  which  Dorothy's  face 
looked  out.  It  was  a  solemn  face  at  that  mo- 
ment. A  suspicious  trembling  of  the  lips  told 
that  the  tears  were  not  far  away. 

"  I  —  I  don't  like  Sally,"  faltered  Dorothy. 
"  She  put  somefing  in  a  pan,  up  high.  And 
when  I  pulled,  it  covered  me  all  up." 

"  That's  the  end  of  the  picnic,  girls."  Peggy 
spoke  with  forced  calm.  "  The  end,  as  far  as 
I'm  concerned.  Bread-sponge  all  the  way  from 
here  to  the  kitchen.  Bread-sponge  in  her  hah* 
and  her  eyebrows." 

"  /  don't  care,  Aunt  Peggy,"  cried  poor  little 


40    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Dorothy.  "I'd  just  as  soon  go  to  the  picnic 
aU  sticky." 

It  was  a  melancholy  ending  for  so  many 
cheerful  plans.  The  girls  protested  that  the 
picnic  without  Peggy  would  only  be  an  aggra- 
vation. They  suggested  putting  it  off  till  an- 
other day.  But  Peggy,  usually  distinguished 
for  her  sweet  reasonableness,  was  not  in  a  mood 
to  make  the  best  of  things. 

"  She'd  only  get  into  something  else,  girls," 
she  insisted.  "  The  glue  pot  or  the  molasses  jug. 
Even  if  the  fudge  would  be  just  as  good  to- 
morrow, you  can't  say  as  much  for  the  sand- 
wiches. Go  along  and  enjoy  yourselves." 

While  three  girls  wended  their  disconsolate 
way  toward  the  Park  car,  a  still  more  dejected 
procession  of  two  climbed  the  stairs  to  the 
Raymond  bathroom.  Mrs.  Raymond,  hearing 
the  sound  of  Dorothy's  stifled  crying,  came 
out  to  inquire  the  cause  of  the  trouble,  and 
uttered  a  horrified  exclamation  at  the  sight  of 
her  small  granddaughter.  Although  divested 
of  the  greater  part  of  the  mass  of  bread-sponge, 
enough  adhered  to  Dorothy's  plump  person, 
to  give  her  a  most  unique  appearance.  Mrs. 


MAKING  FRIENDS  41 

Raymond  patted  the  round,  tear-stained  cheek, 
and  cast  a  comprehending  glance  at  Peggy's 
overcast  face. 

"  I  wish  you  had  gone  with  the  girls,  dear," 
she  said.  "  I  could  have  attended  to  this  little 
mischief,  and  it's  hardly  fair  that  you  should 
lose  your  fun." 

"  Just  as  fair  as  that  you  should  spend  your 
morning  scrubbing  Dorothy,"  Peggy  returned. 
"  You  ought  to  know  I  wouldn't  leave  it  for 
you."  Then  with  the  honesty  which  was  one 
of  Peggy  Raymond's  charms,  she  added,  "  I 
suppose  I  might  better  have  gone  than  stay  at 
home  and  act  like  a  martyr.  Never  mind, 
mother.  There'll  be  more  picnics  some 
day." 

The  process  of  repairing  damages  was  a  slow 
and  tedious  one.  At  intervals  Dorothy  wept 
copiously  into  the  bath  tub,  and  uttered  broken 
promises  to  the  effect  that  next  time  she  would 
stand  in  a  corner  and  not  move  till  the  hour  of 
starting  arrived,  "  And  I  sha'n't  like  Sally  never 
any  more,"  sobbed  Dorothy,  who  had  a  habit, 
not  unknown  among  older  girls,  of  holding 
other  people  responsible  for  her  escapades, 


42    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  'cause  she  put  that  up  high  where  it  could  fall 
all  over  me." 

The  last  traces  of  glutinous  matter  were  at 
last  removed  from  Peggy's  charge.  Arrayed 
in  a  clean  gingham,  with  a  bath  towel  over  her 
shoulders,  Dorothy  was  set  out  on  the  porch, 
where  the  sun  could  dry  her  golden  hair.  Peggy 
gave  her  attention  to  repairing  damages  else- 
where, and  when  she  returned  after  twenty 
minutes'  absence,  Dorothy's  hair  was  curling 
all  over  her  head,  in  a  flossy  yellow  snarl,  while 
in  her  hand  she  held  a  typewritten  sheet  of 
paper. 

"  What's  that,  Dorothy?  "  Peggy  asked,  feel- 
ing the  curly  head  for  signs  of  dampness. 

Dorothy  reflected.  "  It's  a  letter,  I  fink," 
she  replied,  obviously  giving  the  explanation 
which  seemed  most  plausible,  but  speaking 
doubtfully. 

"  Let  me  see!  "  Peggy  took  the  sheet  in  her 
hand,  and  began  its  perusal,  her  eyes  opening 
wide  and  wider  as  she  read. 

'  honor  is  at  stake/  replied  the  earl,  his  hand 
seeking  his  sword.  The  Lady  Vivian  uttered 


MAKING  FRIENDS  43 

a  cry  of  anguish,  and  sank  fainting  into  the 
arms  of  her  attendant." 

"  Why,  how  funny,"  Peggy  broke  off  in  the 
midst  of  the  thrilling  narrative  to  ask  a  practi- 
cal question.  "  Where  did  this  come  from?  " 

"  I  guess  a  angel  brought  it,"  replied  Dorothy, 
after  due  reflection. 

"  0,  you  goosie!  "  Peggy's  laughter  rang  out 
blithely,  and  Mrs.  Raymond  upstairs,  over- 
heard and  drew  a  relieved  sigh.  For  to 
have  Peggy  low-spirited  produced  much  the 
same  effect  as  when  the  sun  goes  under  a 
cloud. 

"  Where  did  you  find  the  paper,  dearie?  " 
coaxed  Peggy.  "  The  wind  blew  it  from  some- 
where, didn't  it?" 

Dorothy  shook  her  head  with  vehemence, 
causing  extreme  agitation  among  her  frizzled 
locks.  "  No,  it  didn't  blow  from  anywhere. 
It  just  earned."  It  was  evident  that  little  in- 
formation could  be  extracted  from  this  source 
and  Peggy  fell  back  upon  her  own  wits. 

"  It's  typewritten.  There  isn't  anybody 
around  here  who  has  a  typewriter,  except 


44    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Harry  Rind,  and  he  wouldn't  be  writing  about 
earls  and  swords  and  things.  I  wonder  - 

Peggy  broke  off,  and  stared  at  the  next  house. 
The  windows  upstairs  were  open.  It  would 
be  an  easy  matter  for  a  sheet  of  paper,  more 
enterprising  than  its  associates,  to  take  a  little 
excursion  into  the  outer  world.  At  the  same 
time,  Peggy  disliked  the  idea  of  facing  Elaine 
again,  to  inquire  if  the  typewritten  sheet  was 
her  property.  If  it  happened  to  belong  to 
someone  else,  the  chances  were  that  Elaine 
would  be  as  uncompromisingly  disagreeable 
as  she  had  been  the  day  before.  And  to  be 
snubbed  twice  in  two  days  was  too  much,  even 
for  Peggy. 

"  I  don't  believe  it's  worth  anything  any- 
way," thought  Peggy,  glancing  at  the  sheet 
in  her  hand.  Lurid  sentences  caught  her  eye. 
The  ladies  in  the  narrative  seemed  given  to 
shrieking  and  fainting,  while  the  gentlemen 
had  a  propensity  for  deadly  combat.  A  sturdy 
strain  of  common  sense  in  Peggy's  make-up 
caused  her  lips  to  twitch  over  this  cheap  trag- 
edy. 

"  It  sounds  silly,"  was  Peggy's  final  verdict, 


MAKING  FRIENDS  45 

"  I  don't  believe  it's  worth  anything,  but,  after 
all,  it  belongs  to  somebody,  and  whoever  wrote 
it  thinks  it's  nice,  I  suppose.  And  —  well,  at 
the  worst,  she  can't  do  more  than  shut  the  door 
in  my  face." 

She  marched  down  the  yard,  head  up  and 
shoulders  back,  in  soldier  fashion.  Indeed 
Peggy  felt  very  much  as  if  she  were  leading  a 
charge.  Like  most  popular  people,  Peggy 
shrank  from  discourtesy.  She  was  so  accus- 
tomed to  being  liked  that  any  indication  of 
unfriendliness  came  with  a  sense  of  shock. 
The  girl  who  had  refused  one  neighborly  kind- 
ness in  so  unpleasant  a  fashion  was  not  likely 
to  have  undergone  a  change  of  heart  in  a  little 
over  twenty-four  hours. 

With  a  sense  of  bracing  herself  to  face  the 
worst,  Peggy  knocked  at  the  kitchen  door  and 
stood  waiting.  Elaine  herself  answered  the 
summons.  The  look  which  crossed  her  face 
seemed  to  say,  "  What,  you  here  again?  "  but 
Peggy  did  not  wait  for  her  to  put  the  ungra- 
cious sentiment  into  words. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  this  belongs  to  you 
or  not,"  she  said  hastily,  "  but  I  thought  per- 


46    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

haps  it  did,  because  hardly  anybody  on  the 
Terrace  has  a  typewriter."  She  handed  the 
sheet  to  Elaine  and  prepared  to  back  away. 

But  Elaine's  formality  had  vanished  with 
the  understanding  of  Peggy's  errand.  "  Page 
six,"  she  exclaimed  in  tones  of  dismay,  "  O,  I 
wonder  where  the  rest  are." 

"  I  didn't  see  but  this  one,  but  then,  I  didn't 
really  look.  When  I  came  out  on  the  porch 
my  little  niece  had  it  in  her  hand.  She  said 
an  angel  brought  it." 

"  An  angel? "  Elaine  forgot  her  anxiety 
for  a  moment  and  laughed  outright;  a  little 
bubbling  laugh  which  did  wonders  in  advan- 
cing the  acquaintance  of  the  two.  Then  her 
thoughts  reverted  to  the  paper,  which  in  Peggy's 
opinion  she  prized  unduly.  "  They  must  have 
blown  out  of  one  of  the  upstairs  windows," 
she  exclaimed. 

"  Perhaps  only  that  one  blew  out.  You  look 
upstairs,  and  I'll  see  if  there  are  any  more 
scattered  over  the  grass,"  Peggy  suggested 
obligingly.  As  it  happened,  the  search  of  both 
girls  was  successful.  Elaine  came  downstairs, 
her  hands  full  of  sheets  she  had  gathered  from 


MAKING  FRIENDS  47 

the  floor,  and  out  of  the  number  only  one 
proved  to  be  missing.  This  one,  numbered 
four,  Peggy  had  found  winding  itself  about 
the  trunk  of  a  spindling  young  peach  tree  in 
the  front  yard. 

"  Now  let's  count  them  again  and  be  sure 
they're  all  here,"  Elaine  said  eagerly.  "  One, 
two,  three,  four." 

"  Five,  six,  seven,  eight,"  concluded  Peggy. 
"  That's  all,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,  that's  all.  0,  how  lucky  I  am  to  find 
them." 

"  O,  isn't  it  splendid." 

The  door  opened  and  a  tall  lady  looked  in. 
A  white  veil  was  tied  over  her  grey  hair,  and 
she  wore  black  gloves.  In  one  hand  she  carried 
a  feather  duster,  and  the  helpless  air  with  which 
she  handled  this  domestic  implement,  caught 
Peggy's  attention  at  once.  The  sight  of  Elaine 
and  Peggy,  beaming  at  each  other  across  the 
typewritten  sheets,  seemed  to  startle  the  new- 
comer. She  made  a  movement  as  if  to  draw 
back,  halted  irresolutely,  and  murmured  some- 
thing unintelligible.  Elaine  came  to  the  rescue, 
blushing  vividly,  quite  as  if,  Peggy  said  to 


48     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

herself,  she  had  been  caught  doing  something 
out  of  the  way. 

"  Mamma,  this  is  a  neighbor  of  ours,  Miss 
—  I  don't  know  your  name,  do  I?  "  She  looked 
a  little  surprised  at  the  discovery. 

"  Peggy  Raymond,"  said  the  owner  of  the 
name  with  promptness. 

"  And  this  is  my  mother,  Mrs.  Marshall." 
The  introduction  completed,  Elaine  hastened 
to  explain  Peggy's  presence,  and  the  other  girl 
could  not  free  herself  of  the  feeling  that  she 
found  it  necessary  to  excuse  as  well  as  to  ex- 
plain. 

"  Just  think,  mamma!  One  of  the  sheets  of 
my  —  I  mean  one  of  these  sheets  flew  out  of 
the  window,  and  she  brought  it  back  to  me. 
Wasn't  I  fortunate?  And  wasn't  she  kind?  " 

"  We  certainly  are  much  indebted  to  Miss 
Raymond,"  Mrs.  Marshall  remarked  with  a 
stateliness  which  took  Peggy's  breath  away. 
"  I  regret  that  it  is  necessary,"  she  continued 
impressively,  "  to  apologize  for  my  appear- 
ance. After  being  accustomed  to  the  super- 
vision of  a  house  full  of  servants  throughout 
my  married  life  it  is  extremely  humiliating  to 


MAKING   FRIENDS  49 

me  to  be  discovered  engaged  in  the  work  of  a 
parlor  maid." 

Peggy  could  think  of  no  suitable  reply  to  this 
speech.  She  perceived  that  Mrs.  Marshall 
was  one  of  the  people  who,  having  "  come  down 
in  the  world,"  persist  in  flaunting  in  the  face 
of  their  acquaintances  recollections  of  their 
past  grandeur.  She  said  hastily  that  nobody 
ever  called  her  Miss  Raymond,  and  she 
wanted  to  be  Peggy  to  her  new  neighbors  as 
well  as  to  the  rest  of  the  Terrace.  Then  she 
excused  herself,  on  the  ground  that  she  must 
look  after  Dorothy,  while  Elaine  followed  her 
to  the  door  to  say  again,  "  I'm  so  much  obliged. 
I  can't  tell  you  how  much  I  thank  you." 

Dorothy  was  sitting  on  the  porch  steps,  a 
subdued  little  figure.  Her  hah1,  crinkling  tightly 
after  its  recent  washing,  stood  out  in  all  direc- 
tions, giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  tuft  of 
thistle-down  just  ready  to  fly  away. 

Peggy  felt  the  fluffy  golden  crown  thought- 
fully. "  Dry  as  the  Desert  of  Sahara,  isn't 
it?" 

Dorothy  compressed  her  lips  and  blinked. 
She  strongly  objected  to  being  addressed  in 


50    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

language  beyond  her  comprehension,  perhaps 
because  she  always  suspected  the  people  who 
used  these  terms  of  trying  to  make  fun  of  her. 

"  And  as  long  as  your  hah*  is  dry,  and  your 
dress  is  clean,  I've  an  idea,  Dorothy  darling. 
How  would  you  like  to  go  to  the  Park  and  hunt 
up  the  girls?  They'll  have  had  luncheon  before 
we  get  there,  but  there'll  be  a-plenty  left. 
There  always  is." 

"  Aunt  Peggy! "  screamed  Dorothy,  climb- 
ing to  her  feet  with  undignified  haste.  "  I  like 
you  better'n  butter-scotch,  and  better'n  pink 
tooth-powder.  Let's  hurry." 

And  hurry  they  did.  And  which  of  the  two 
enjoyed  the  gaieties  of  the  picnic  more,  the  big 
girl  or  the  little  one,  it  would  be  hard  to  say. 
But  underneath  Peggy's  lightness  of  heart,  and 
whole-souled  participation  in  the  afternoon's 
fun,  a  pleasant  undercurrent  of  thought  ran 
like  a  hidden  stream,  the  consciousness  that  at 
last  she  had  succeeded  in  establishing  friendly 
relations  with  the  girl  next  door. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A   BUSY   AFTERNOON 

THE  breeze  which  had  lingered  by  the  honey- 
suckle, climbing  over  the  back  porch  of  the 
Raymond  cottage,  did  not  carry  to  the  next- 
door  neighbors  any  whiffs  of  refreshing  fra- 
grance. For  before  it  crossed  the  hedge,  which 
marked  the  boundary  line  between  the  two 
places,  it  had  picked  up  an  odor  very  different. 
And  Peggy  Raymond's  paint-pot  was  respon- 
sible. 

Peggy  was  arrayed  in  what  she  called  her 
regimentals.  They  consisted  of  an  old  shirt- 
waist, the  sleeves  cut  off  at  the  elbows,  a  calico 
skirt,  and  a  pair  of  shabby  shoes,  all  of  which 
articles  were  splashed  with  paint  of  different 
colors.  The  landscape  which  hung  in  Peggy's 
mother's  room,  and  which  had  been  the  cause 
of  so  much  discussion  in  the  family,  was  not 
responsible  for  any  part  ef  this  rainbow  effect. 
When  Peggy  donned  her  "  regimentals,"  her 

51 


52    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

artistic  instincts  took  an  entirely  different 
turn. 

Standing  upon  several  newspapers,  spread 
out  for  the  protection  of  the  grass  in  the  Ray- 
mond back  yard,  was  a  chair.  It  was  a  rather 
dilapidated  chair,  judged  from  the  standpoint 
of  an  unbiassed  spectator.  Its  cane  seat  had 
long  ceased  to  be  practical  for  purposes  of  sup- 
port, and  its  battered,  scarred  appearance 
suggested  that  it  had  been  used  as  a  target  for 
missiles  singularly  effective.  But  Peggy  re- 
garded it  with  a  look  of  pleased  anticipation, 
not  unmixed  with  pride. 

The  can  of  paint,  which,  lending  its  odor  to 
the  breeze,  had  quite  submerged  the  fragrance 
of  the  honeysuckle,  stood  conveniently  near 
the  chair,  and  Peggy  was  absorbed  in  trans- 
ferring the  contents  of  the  one  to  the  battered 
surface  of  the  other.  The  first  results  of  the 
transference  did  not  impress  the  beholder  as 
successful,  for  the  chair  had  been  painted  black 
in  the  first  place,  and  the  original  hue,  showing 
distinctly  through  the  coat  of  paint,  suggested 
a  brown  cheek  veiled  in  white.  But,  undis- 
turbed by  her  failure  to  produce  the  effect  she 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  53 

wanted,  without  any  irritating  delays,  Peggy 
worked  away  cheerily,  humming  a  tune  under 
her  breath,  and  so  absorbed  was  she  in  her  task 
that  she  did  not  hear  a  light  step  coming  across 
the  grass.  Her  first  intimation  that  she  was 
not  alone  was  when  a  somewhat  hesitating 
voice  said,  "  I  beg  your  pardon." 

With  a  start  Peggy  looked  up.  At  the  sight 
of  Elaine  her  face  crinkled  into  a  smile  of  such 
unmistakable  pleasure  that  only  a  very  peculiar 
person  could  have  felt  indifferent  to  being  its 
exciting  cause. 

"  Why,  it's  you,  isn't  it?  "  exclaimed  Peggy 
radiantly,  springing  from  her  knees  with  a 
haste  which  came  near  to  overturning  the  can 
of  paint.  "  I  can't  ask  you  to  take  a  chair,  be- 
cause the  only  chair  there  is  is  pretty  well  cov- 
ered with  paint  by  now.  But  I'll  pull  out  the 
wheelbarrow  - 

"  0,  I  can't  stay  long  enough  to  sit  down," 
Elaine  said  hastily.  She  was  on  the  point  of 
saying  more,  but  quite  unconscious  that  she 
was  interrupting,  Peggy  broke  in. 

"  I  suppose  you  wondered  what  I  was  doing. 
YOU  see  one"  of  the  chairs  in  my  bed-room  went 


54     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to  pieces  the  other  day.  Amy  was  sitting  on  it 
at  the  time,  and  she  was  quite  mortified.  Amy 
is  plump,  and  she  decided  right  away  that  she 
wouldn't  eat  any  more  candy  for  six  months, 
if  she  was  getting  so  big  that  ordinary  furniture 
wouldn't  bear  her  weight."  Peggy  interrupted 
herself  by  an  infectious  laugh  and  chattered 
on,  "  And  so  I've  got  to  have  a  new  chair  - 

"  A  new  chair,"  repeated  Elaine,  surprise 
causing  her  to  give  a  rather  impolite  emphasis 
to  the  adjective. 

Peggy  laughed  again.  "  The  new  things  for 
my  room  are  a  good  deal  like  some  folks'  new 
dresses,  the  made-over,  new  kind,  you  know. 
But  I  almost  think  I  like  them  all  the  better. 
Take  this  chair,  for  instance."  Peggy  indicated 
the  article  in  question  by  a  sweeping  gesture 
of  her  paint  brush.  "  It  isn't  much  to  look  at 
just  now." 

"No!"  Elaine  acknowledged,  apparently 
glad  to  find  a  point  on  which  she  could  agree 
with  Peggy.  "  It  isn't." 

"  It'll  have  to  have  quite  a  number  of  coats," 
Peggy  explained.  "  And  when  the  paint  is 
thick  enough,  so  that  the  black  doesn't  show 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  55 

through,  I'll  tack  a  square  of  blue  denim  over 
the  seat.  If  you  put  it  on  with  braid  and  gilt- 
headed  tacks,  it  is  quite  effective." 

Elaine's  start  was  not  due  to  admiration  for 
the  glowing  picture  Peggy's  words  had  con- 
jured up,  but  rather  to  consternation  over  her 
own  negligence.  "  O,  I  forgot!  "  she  exclaimed, 
and  hesitated.  She  was  so  plainly  embarrassed 
that  Peggy  felt  vaguely  uncomfortable  herself. 
But  she  did  not  have  time  to  wonder  why,  be- 
fore Elaine  was  launched  on  an  explanation. 

"  Mamma  sent  me  over  to  say  that  she  ob- 
jects to  the  smell  of  paint,  and  to  ask  if  you 
would  mind  - 

Elaine  hesitated  again.  Her  air  of  confusion 
did  not  seem  consistent  with  the  impression 
Peggy  had  formed  of  her.  As  for  Peggy  herself, 
she  was  equally  divided  between  sympathy  for 
the  bearer  of  the  message,  and  regret  over  her 
interrupted  task. 

"  I  suppose  I  should  have  stopped  to  think 
which  way  the  wind  was  blowing,"  she  said 
quickly.  "  But  somehow  I  never  can  remember 
that  some  people  dislike  the  smell  of  paint. 
It  seems  so  clean,  and  it  always  makes  me  think 


56     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

how  nice  things  are  going  to  look  when  you  are 
done."  She  studied  the  unfinished  chair,  and 
suppressed  a  sigh.  "  I'll  just  dab  a  little  more 
paint  on  this  round,  and  then  I'll  set  it  in  the 
woodshed  and  wait  till  the  wind  is  from  the 
east." 

Peggy  gave  her  attention  to  a  particularly 
battered  portion  of  the  chair's  anatomy,  till 
she  was  aroused  from  her  absorption  by  a  ques- 
tion. The  voice  which  asked  it  was  intense, 
almost  tragically  so,  in  striking  contrast  to  the 
serenity  of  the  afternoon. 

"  Don't  you  hate,  hate,  hate  to  be  poor?  " 

A  big  spot  of  white  paint  added  itself  to  the 
decoration  of  the  calico  skirt,  as  Peggy  stared 
up  at  her  interrogator.  "  Why,  I  don't  know," 
she  acknowledged,  "  I  guess  I  never  thought 
about  it." 

"  Not  thought  about  it?  Why,  how  can  you 
help  it  when  you  have  to  do  things  like  this?  " 
Elaine  made  a  scornful  gesture,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  woe-begone  chair.  "  Just  suppose 
that  all  you  had  to  do  when  you  wanted  some- 
thing new  was  to  go  and  buy  it." 

Peggy  laughed  a  little.    "I'm  afraid  my  im- 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  57 

agination  isn't  equal  to  that,"  she  replied 
cheerily.  "  And,  anyway,  this  sort  of  thing  is 
such  fun! " 

"  Fun!  "  echoed  Elahie,  with  an  incredulous 
gasp. 

"  Why,  yes!  To  take  something  like  this 
chair  and  fix  it  up  so  that  it  is  useful  and  pretty 
is  real  fun.  And  so  are  lots  of  things  about 
housework.  There's  cooking,  now." 

"  I  don't  know  a  thing  about  cooking." 
Elaine  had  moved  a  little  nearer  Peggy,  as  if 
afraid  of  losing  something.  Her  air  of  interest 
was  unmistakable. 

"  Well,  I  love  it  all,  but  the  nicest  part,  I 
think,  is  taking  the  left-overs,  you  know,  the 
cold  potatoes,  and  the  ends  of  the  steak,  and 
fixing  them  up  into  real  nice  appetizing  dishes." 

"  I  tried  getting  luncheon  to-day,"  Elaine 
acknowledged.  "  I  was  going  to  make  an  ome- 
lette because  I  thought  that  would  be  easy. 
It  burned  to  start  with,  and  then  instead  of 
puffing  up  light,  it  flattened  out  till  it  was  just 
like  india-rubber.  And  Mamma  can't  cook  any 
better.  I  don't  know  what  we  are  going  to  do." 

Peggy  looked  sympathetically  at  the  troubled 


58    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

face  beside  her.  "  Why,  if  you'd  like,"  she 
began,  then  hesitated,  remembering  her  past 
experience.  But  having  started  the  sentence 
there  seemed  no  way  out  of  finishing  it.  "  I'll 
be  glad  to  show  you  all  I  know,"  she  ended  with 
a  gulp. 

Apparently  the  present  Elaine,  staring  mood- 
ily at  Peggy's  handiwork,  bore  little  resemblance 
to  the  Elaine  who  had  frigidly  declined  the 
cinnamon  rolls.  She  drew  a  long,  sighing 
breath,  "  I'd  like  to  learn,"  she  replied.  "  But 
I'm  afraid  I'd  be  dreadfully  stupid  about  it." 

It  was  Peggy's  habit  to  strike  while  the  iron 
was  hot.  "  It's  Sally's  day  out,"  she  said. 
"  I'm  going  to  get  supper.  Wouldn't  you  like 
a  lesson  this  afternoon?  " 

"  Are  you  sure  it  wouldn't  be  a  bother?  " 

Peggy's  ears  had.  not  deceived  her.  The 
friendly  offer  had  not  been  declined.  With  a 
face  as  radiant  as  if  she  had  just  received  noti- 
fication of  a  legacy,  she  hurried  to  make  ar- 
rangements with  her  prospective  pupil. 

"  Come  over  about  four.  That'll  give  us 
lots  of  time  for  experiments."  She  carried  the 
half -painted  chair  into  the  woodshed  in  a  jubi- 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  59 

lant  mood,  which  was  rather  remarkable  con- 
sidering that  she  had  been  prevented  from 
finishing  the  task  on  which  she  had  started. 
Like  all  energetic  people  Peggy  detested  inter- 
ruptions. But  this  was  too  much  of  a  red-letter 
day  for  her  to  allow  herself  to  be  depressed  by 
trifles. 

Promptly  at  four  Elaine  presented  herself, 
wearing  over  her  black  serge  dress  a  little  em- 
broidered apron,  about  the  size  of  a  pocket- 
handkerchief.  Peggy  regarded  the  lace-edged 
affair  with  an  amazement  which  Elaine  mistook 
for  admiration. 

"  Pretty,  isn't  it?  "  she  said,  glancing  down 
at  it  complacently.  "  It  was  a  Christmas 
present." 

"  It  would  be  fine  for  a  chafing-dish  supper," 
Peggy  returned,  feeling  that  if  she  were  to  act 
as  Elaine's  instructor  she  must  begin  with  the 
fundamentals.  "  Chafing  dishes  and  the  aprons 
that  go  with  them  are  all  right  for  fun,  but, 
when  it  comes  to  real  business,  there's  nothing 
like  a  good  range  and  a  big  apron.  I'll  lend  you 
one  of  mine." 

Elaine,  enveloped  in  a  long  apron  which  fell 


60    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to  the  bottom  of  her  skirt,  was  soon  being  ini- 
tiated into  some  of  the  preliminary  mysteries 
of  household  economy.  "  There  are  five  of  us 
Raymonds  to  get  supper  for,"  Peggy  said  count- 
ing them  off  on  her  fingers.  "  And  Dick's  al- 
ways so  hungry  that  he  counts  for  two.  You'll 
stay,  won't  you?  " 

"  0,  I'd  better  not.  I  don't  know  anybody 
but  you." 

"  That'll  be  the  best  way  to  get  acquainted. 
And,  besides,  if  you  help  with  the  cooking,  you 
ought  to  help  eat  the  things.  That's  half  the 
fun.  I  don't  know  how  anybody  can  be  a  good 
cook  who  hasn't  got  a  good  appetite.  I  simply 
adore  the  things  I  make." 

After  a  careful  examination  of  the  refrigera- 
tor the  supper  was  planned.  There  had  been 
baked  fish  for  dinner,  and  the  remnants,  Peggy 
explained  to  the  respectfully  attentive  Elaine, 
arranged  in  a  baking  dish,  with  cream  sauce 
between  the  layers  and  crumbs  on  top,  would 
be  even  more  delicious  than  the  fish  in  its  origi- 
nal state.  Peggy  also  decided  on  baking  powder 
biscuits.  "  They're  such  handy  things,"  she 
said.  "  And  you  can  stir  them  up  so  quickly 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  61 

and  keep  on  baking  as  long  as  anybody  is  hun- 
gry; so  they're  one  of  the  very  first  things  you 
should  learn  to  make." 

Working  with  Peggy,  Elaine  began  to  under- 
stand why  she  found  everything  "  fun."  The 
neat,  pleasant  kitchen  had  a  charm  of  its  own. 
There  was  an  agreeable  excitement  about  the 
business  of  evolving  a  palatable  supper  from 
materials  which  the  eye  of  inexperience  had 
found  unpromising.  Elaine  asked  a  great  many 
questions,  helped  a  little,  in  an  awkward  fash- 
ion, which  unkind  critics  would  have  pro- 
nounced a  hindrance  rather  than  an  aid,  and 
was  conscious  of  a  steadily  increasing  respect 
for  this  deft-handed  girl  who  knew  so  well  what 
she  wanted  to  do  and  how  to  do  it. 

The  telephone  bell  rang  while  Peggy  was 
sifting  out  the  flour  for  the  biscuits.  She  dusted 
her  hands,  and  went  to  answer  it.  "  Very  well, 
father,"  Elaine  heard  her  say,  and  she  was 
smiling  when  she  came  running  back. 

"  We're  going  to  have  company,"  she  an- 
nounced to  Elaine  as  if  the  news  were  pleasant. 
"  A  Mr.  White,  one  of  father's  friends."  She 
reflected  a  moment,  frowning  thoughtfully. 


62    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  guess  we'll  put  some  potatoes  in  the  oven 
to  bake.  There'll  be  tune  enough  if  we  pick 
out  small  ones,  and  there's  plenty  of  the  fruit 
cake." 

The  potatoes  were  washed  hastily  and  con- 
signed to  the  oven,  and  Peggy  sifted  out  a  little 
more  flour.  Then  the  door  bell  rang  and  there 
was  a  sound  of  voices  in  the  hall.  A  moment 
later  Peggy's  mother  slipped  into  the  kitchen 
and  shut  the  door  behind  her. 

"  Peggy,  old  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews  have 
just  come.  I  suppose  they  11  stay  for  supper. 
Have  you  got  enough  for  two  more?  " 

"  0,  yes.  We'll  have  enough,"  Peggy  an- 
swered blithely. 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  help  you?  " 

"  0,  I'm  getting  on  finely  with  my  neigh- 
bor's assistance.  You  can  go  back  and  enter- 
tain the  company."  As  her  mother  slipped 
away,  looking  relieved,  Peggy  added  to  Elaine, 
"  I  didn't  know  what  I  was  getting  you  into 
when  I  asked  you  over  this  afternoon." 

"  Will  there  really  be  enough  for  so  many?  " 
demanded  Elaine,  feeling  rather  oppressed  by 
the  weight  of  these  unusual  responsibilities. 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  63 

"  I've  had  a  brilliant  idea;  I'm  going  to  heat 
some  maple  syrup.  People  like  it  with  hot 
biscuit,  and,  besides,  it  takes  off  the  edge  of 
their  appetite,"  Peggy  explained  shamelessly. 
"  But  we  shall  have  to  put  an  extra  leaf  in  the 
table,  I'm  afraid." 

At  six  o'clock  everything  was  ready.  A 
pleasant  mixture  of  odors  pervaded  the  house, 
the  fragrance  of  coffee  being  most  in  evidence. 
Peggy  had  just  taken  a  pan  of  biscuit  from  the 
oven,  and  was  calling  Elaine's  attention  to 
their  flaky  lightness,  when  Dick  put  his  head 
through  the  door. 

"Say,  Peg-" 

"0,  is  that  you,  Dick?  This  is  our  new 
neighbor,  Elaine  Marshall." 

Dick  gave  a  shy  little  bob  of  his  head  hi 
Elaine's  direction.  "  Say,  Peg,"  he  repeated. 

"Yes,    dear." 

"  Looney  Batezell's  mother  has  gone  some- 
where to  supper,  and  his  father,  too,  and  the 
hired  girl  won't  fuss  to  fix  him  anything  decent, 
and  so  I  just  told  him  to  come  over  here  to 
supper." 

Elaine  waited  for  the  explosion  that  did  not 


64    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

come.  "  Very  well,"  Peggy  said  resignedly. 
As  the  door  closed  and  Dick's  footsteps  echoed 
along  the  hall,  she  flung  a  twinkle  in  Elaine's 
direction.  "  It  never  rains  but  it  pours,"  she 
quoted. 

"  Why,  I  don't  see  —  "  Elaine  checked  her- 
self, reflecting  that  it  was  not  necessary  for  the 
matter  to  be  explained  to  her  satisfaction.  But 
Peggy  took  it  on  herself  to  reply  to  the  un- 
spoken remonstrance. 

'  I  suppose  I  might  have  told  Dick  he 
couldn't  have  Looney  to-night.  But  it's  only 
one  more  and  it  doesn't  really  make  much  dif- 
ference. Besides  we  like  to  have  Dick  feel  that 
his  friends  are  welcome.  When  you  are  bring- 
ing up  a  boy,"  concluded  Peggy,  laughing,  and 
still  very  much  in  earnest,  "  you  have  to  think 
of  so  many  things." 

Peggy  did  not  eat  her  supper  that  evening 
till  the  others  had  finished.  She  waited  on  the 
table,  and  baked  biscuit,  and  if  there  was  any- 
thing more  remarkable  than  the  celerity  with 
which  the  biscuit  plates  were  cleared,  it  was  the 
promptness  with  which  they  were  refilled,  each 
time  with  flaky,  smoking-hot  biscuits,  which 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  65 

fairly  melted  in  one's  mouth.  Only  in  one 
respect  had  Peggy  miscalculated,  and  that  was 
when  she  remarked  that  the  maple  syrup  would 
take  off  the  edge  of  her  guests'  appetites.  To 
all  appearances  it  only  whetted  them  to  a  more 
razor-like  keenness. 

But  everybody  was  satisfied  at  last,  and 
Peggy  ate  her  own  supper,  her  cheerfulness 
unimpaired  by  the  fact  that  the  baking  dish 
had  been  scraped  clean  before  her  turn  came, 
and  that  her  baked  potato  was  overdone.  She 
protested  against  Elaine's  determination  to 
stay  and  help  her  with  the  dishes,  but  Elaine 
was  firm. 

"  It's  only  fair,  as  part  payment  for  my  lesson. 
And,  besides,  I  dare  say  I  need  to  learn  things 
about  washing  dishes  as  well  as  cooking." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Elaine  had  learned  sev- 
eral things  that  afternoon,  and  the  secret  of 
making  baking-powder  biscuits  was  not  perhaps 
the  most  important.  She  had  seen  a  girl  not 
far  from  her  own  age  equal  to  an  emergency 
which  older  housekeepers  would  have  found 
trying,  keeping  her  head  clear  and  temper  un- 
ruffled. Elaine  was  beginning  to  understand 


66    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

that  it  was  not  what  Peggy  did,  so  much  as  her 
way  of  doing  it,  that  set  her  apart. 

"  I  feel  real  selfish  keeping  you  so  long," 
Peggy  declared,  when  the  last  dish  was  in  its 
place.  "  Your  poor  mother  will  have  been  aw- 
fully lonely." 

"  0,  no,  she  -  '  Elaine  paused  with  an  air 
of  checking  herself  on  the  verge  of  an  admis- 
sion. "  Mamma  doesn't  mind  being  alone," 
she  ended,  but  Peggy  was  quite  sure  that  this 
was  not  what  she  had  intended  to  say. 

Peggy  stood  in  the  doorway  while  her  new 
friend  and  pupil  crossed  the  yard,  passed 
through  the  opening  in  the  hedge  and  tried  her 
own  door.  It  was  locked,  and  Elaine  knocked 
and  waited  till  her  mother  came  to  let  her  in. 
As  the  door  opened  Elaine  turned  and  waved  a 
good  night  to  the  figure  framed  in  light,  watch- 
ing to  be  sure  that  she  was  safely  home. 

As  Peggy  returned  the  greeting,  something 
odd  happened.  In  the  room  above  a  shade  was 
lowered.  All  that  Peggy  saw  was  an  extended 
arm  and  a  white  hand  pulling  down  the  shade, 
but  she  stood  staring  as  if  this  had  been  a  most 
out-of-the-way  proceeding. 


A  BUSY  AFTERNOON  67 

"  Queer  thing,"  mused  Peggy.  "  Elaine  and 
her  mother  are  downstairs  at  the  door,  and 
they  haven't  any  servant,  and  I'm  sure  I 
thought  Mrs.  Marshall  was  alone  this  eve- 
ning." 

She  looked  blankly  at  the  non-committal 
shade,  then  remembered  her  morning's  lessons, 
and,  closing  the  door,  ran  upstairs  to  her 
school  books.  By  bed-time  she  had  forgotten 
to  wonder  whose  hand  had  lowered  the  shade 
in  that  upstairs  room. 


CHAPTER  V 
A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY 

WHILE  Peggy's  acquaintance  with  Elaine 
had  been  steadily  progressing,  the  other  girls 
were  little  farther  along  than  on  the  memorable 
morning  when  they  welcomed  the  wrong  hack. 
Priscilla  had  begun  to  speak  of  "  Peggy's 
friend  "  with  an  intonation  which  showed  re- 
sentment. 

"  It's  because  we  live  next  to  each  other,  I 
suppose,"  said  Peggy,  who  never  imagined 
that  her  own  sunniness  of  disposition  could 
prove  a  magnet  to  attract  friends  and  was  al- 
ways devising  explanations  for  their  abundance. 
"  You  haven't  had  a  fair  chance.  I  believe 
I'll  give  a  Hallowe'en  party,  so  that  Elaine 
can  get  acquainted  with  the  rest  of  you." 

The  suggestion  awakened  an  enthusiasm  that 
had  little  connection  with  Elaine.  Peggy's 
parties  were  simple  affairs,  old-fashioned,  one 
might  call  them.  There  was  no  orchestra  play- 

68 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  69 

ing  behind  a  screen  of  palms,  no  elaborate  re- 
freshments, no  display  of  pretty  frocks.  In- 
deed Peggy  very  often  said,  "  Don't  put  on  your 
good  clothes;  you  might  hurt  them."  Many 
a  girl  of  Peggy's  age  who  regards  herself  as  a 
young  lady  would  turn  up  her  nose  at  one  of 
Peggy's  parties,  where  everybody  came  at  eight 
o'clock  and  went  home  correspondingly  early, 
and  where  nobody  made  an  effort  to  appear 
grown  up.  But  since  Peggy's  guests  invariably 
had  a  good  time,  "  the  best  tune  ever,"  they  were 
likely  to  declare,  Peggy  was  entirely  satisfied. 

Elaine,  being  new  to  the  traditions  of  the 
Terrace,  opened  her  eyes  when  Peggy  tendered 
her  an  invitation  across  the  hedge.  "  A  Hal- 
lowe'en party,"  she  repeated,  a  question  in  her 
voice.  "  Isn't  that  rather  - 

"  Rather  what?  "  inquired  Peggy  with  such 
good-natured  curiosity  that  Elaine  almost  re- 
gretted her  beginning. 

"  0,  nothing.  Only  a  Hallowe'en  party  seems 
rather  childish,  don't  you  think?  " 

"  I  didn't  think  anything  about  it,  except 
that  it  was  fun,"  Peggy  answered  tranquilly. 
And  then  she  added  the  warning  so  likely  to 


70     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

accompany  Peggy's  invitations,  "  Don't  wear 
your  good  clothes." 

•''What!" 

"  I  mean  don't  wear  anything  good  enough 
to  hurt." 

"  I  haven't  anything  particularly  nice,"  said 
Elaine  with  dignity,  "  but  if  I'm  going  to  a 
party  where  I'll  meet  a  lot  of  strangers  I  natu- 
rally shall  wear  my  best."  She  looked  at  Peggy 
half  resentfully,  half  perplexedly,  reflecting  as 
she  did  so  that  Peggy  was  the  sort  of  girl  who 
could  wear  an  old  dress  to  a  party  and  have  a 
good  time  in  spite  of  it.  But,  then,  Peggy  wasn't 
like  other  people.  A  very  short  residence  on 
the  Terrace  had  been  long  enough  to  bring 
Elaine  to  this  conclusion. 

Peggy  was  very  busy  the  next  ten  days.  She 
had  never  been  accustomed  to  much  spending 
money,  and  she  had  early  learned  that  for  the 
drawback  of  a  slender  purse  there  is  abundant 
compensation  in  cleverness  and  ingenuity. 
Whatever  pleasure  Peggy's  parties  gave  her 
friends,  she  enjoyed  them  doubly,  for  she  had 
the  pleasure  of  preparation  along  with  the 
other.  If  a  bubbling  laugh  escaped  over  the 


A     SHEETED     FIGURE     AT     THE     DOOH     WELCOMED     EACH 
COMER    WITH    EXTENDED    HAND." 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  71 

transom  of  Peggy's  room,  when  she  was  sup- 
posed to  be  abed  and  asleep,  some  member  of 
the  household  was  sure  to  say,  "  Peggy's  got 
a  new  idea,"  and  to  smile  in  sympathy. 

That  some  busy  brain  had  been  evolving 
ideas,  and  that  busy  hands  had  been  carrying 
them  out,  was  evident  enough  on  the  night  of 
the  thirty-first.  The  light  was  turned  low  in  the 
hall,  and  a  sheeted  figure  at  the  door  wel- 
comed each  comer  with  extended  hand.  The 
ceremony  of  hand-shaking  was  generally  fol- 
lowed by  little  shrill  squeals  on  the  part  of  the 
arrivals,  and  voluble  exclamations. 

Elaine,  coming  in  alone,  and  holding  her 
head  very  high,  distinguished  herself  by  not 
screaming  when  the  clammy  hand  touched  hers, 
though  she  jumped,  without  any  question. 
There  was  an  unearthly  chill  about  that  hand, 
which,  coupled  with  the  sepulchral  white  gar- 
ments and  the  dark  eyes  showing  through  holes 
edged  with  red,  produced  a  singular  shivery 
feeling  along  Elaine's  spine. 

"  It's  Dick,  I  guess,"  said  the  girl  who  had 
entered  just  ahead  of  Elaine,  plunging  into  con- 
versation without  waiting  for  an  introduction. 


72    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  He's  got  on  gloves,  wet  chamois-skin  gloves, 
but  who  would  imagine  that  it  would  feel  so 
ghastly?  Don't  you  love  to  have  your  blood 
run  cold?  "  Fortunately  Elaine  was  spared 
the  necessity  of  answering  that  question  by 
encountering  Peggy,  who  gave  both  arrivals 
a  rapturous  squeeze  and  bore  them  off  to  her 
room  to  remove  their  wraps. 

The  Raymond  living-room  had  been  trans- 
formed in  honor  of  Peggy's  party.  Jack-o'- 
lanterns  grinned  from  the  mantel  and  the 
book-cases.  A  tub  of  water,  Elaine  noticed 
with  disapproval,  occupied  the  centre  of  the 
room.  Hung  over  the  grate  was  an  old  iron 
kettle,  in  whose  depths  something  silvery 
bubbled  responsive  to  the  heat  below.  The 
chairs  set  back  against  the  wall  were  filled  with 
laughing  girls;  for,  in  spite  of  Peggy's  repeated 
warnings  that  Elaine  was  not  to  be  late,  she 
was  the  last  arrival. 

"  We'll  start  with  the  lead,  that's  boiling  so 
nicely,  and  perhaps  lead  boils  away,  just  as 
water  does."  Peggy  brought  out  a  long- 
handled  tin  spoon,  and  a  basin  filled  with  water. 
"  Come,  Ruth,"  she  commanded. 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  73 

"  0,  let  somebody  else  take  her  turn  first," 
pleaded  Ruth,  but  half  a  dozen  hands  pushed 
her  forward.  Cautiously  she  ladled  a  little  of 
the  melted  lead  into  the  water.  Hissing  it  fell 
to  the  bottom  of  the  basin,  taking  shape  as  it 
cooled.  The  girls  crowded  about  to  read  the 
augury. 

"  Ruth!  "  Peggy's  voice  was  preternaturally 
solemn.  "  It's  awful,  but  it  looks  to  me  like 
three  balls.  Do  you  suppose  you  are  going  to 
marry  a  pawn-broker?  " 

"  0,  horrors!  "  cried  Ruth,  aghast.  Milly 
Weston  patted  her  shoulder  comfortingly. 

"  Don't  you  believe  it.  I  can  see  leaves  and 
branches,  too.  Those  three  balls  are  fruit; 
oranges  probably.  That  means  you're  going 
to  have  an  orange  ranch  in  California  or  Florida, 
and  make  lots  of  money." 

The  rest  of  the  fortune  telling  proved  equally 
cheerful.  The  fantastic  shapes  assumed  by  the 
lead  in  cooling  could  be  interpreted  in  a  variety 
of  ways.  While  Priscilla  insisted  that  fate 
had  moulded  the  lead  she  let  fall  into  the  shape 
of  the  horn  of  plenty,  which,  of  course,  would 
signify  prosperity,  Peggy  was  positive  that  the 


74     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

lead  had  taken  the  form  of  a  ship,  and  signified 
a  voyage,  while  some  of  the  girls  saw  a  fish  in 
the  curved  shape,  and  advanced  ingenious  the- 
ories as  to  its  meaning. 

There  was  no  disagreement  as  to  Elaine's 
fortune.  The  lead  took  the  form  of  a  violin, 
and  Peggy  triumphantly  prophesied  that  her 
new  friend  would  make  a  success  in  music. 
Elaine  smiled  with  a  sense  of  superiority,  as 
one  who  has  outgrown  childish  things,  but  she 
could  not  help  being  glad  of  the  violin,  in  place 
of  the  rolling-pin  Peggy  had  claimed  for  herself, 
and  which  she  considered  argued  skill  in  the 
domestic  arts.  Though  Elaine  was  trying  hard 
to  put  Peggy's  lessons  into  execution  she  had 
not  got  beyond  the  point  of  regarding  house- 
work as  drudgery. 

By  the  time  the  supply  of  lead  was  exhausted 
the  company  was  ready  for  something  else. 
Into  the  tub  filled  with  water  Peggy  dropped 
three  apples,  which  bobbed  against  one  another 
sociably  and  then  went  sailing  off  in  different 
directions. 

"  0,  dear  me,  Peggy,"  Amy  cried  reproach- 
fully, "  I've  got  the  loveliest  wave  in  my  hair, 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  75 

and  it  would  have  lasted  a  week  if  it  wasn't  for 
you.  I  always  get  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
tub  when  I  bob  for  apples  and  look  like  a  wet 
kitten  for  the  rest  of  the  evening." 

"  I've  had  pity  on  your  hair,  honey,"  Peggy 
laughed,  with  an  approving  pat  of  Amy's  fair 
locks.  "  It  looks  much  too  nice  to  spoil." 
She  brought  a  bow  and  arrow  from  the  adjoin- 
ing room.  "  Instead  of  bobbing  for  apples," 
she  explained,  "  you  try  to  hit  them  with  the 
arrow.  The  yellow  apple  stands  for  wealth, 
the  red  one  for  health,  and  the  green  for  happi- 
ness. See!  Dick  fixed  something  sharp  in  the 
end  of  the  arrow  so  it  would  stick." 

The  girls  gathered  around  to  admire,  then 
drew  off,  while  Amy  made  her  first  attempt  in 
archery.  The  cord  twanged  as  the  arrow  sped 
on  its  way.  There  was  a  shriek  from  the  girls 
on  Amy's  right. 

"Oh!  Oh!"  screamed  Blanche  Estabrook 
cowering  and  clutching  frantically  at  the  girl 
who  stood  next  her.  "  She's  hit  me." 

It  was  only  too  true,  and  considerable  argu- 
ment was  needed  to  convince  Blanche  that  the 
injury  was  not  serious.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 


the  arrow  had  pierced  the  bow  of  blue  ribbon 
surmounting  her  knot  of  yellow  curls,  and  hung 
dangling.  What  with  the  agonized  exclama- 
tions of  Amy,  horrified  over  the  thought  of 
what  might  have  happened,  and  the  chatter  of 
the  other  girls,  trying  to  explain  to  Blanche 
that  she  couldn't  possibly  be  hurt,  Peggy  had 
some  difficulty  in  restoring  order. 

"  The  trouble  was  just  here,  Amy,"  she  ex- 
plained to  her  friend.  "  You  took  aim  as  care- 
fully as  could  be,  and  then,  just  at  the  last, 
you  shut  your  eyes.  Now,  it  stands  to  reason 
you  can't  hit  a  mark  with  your  eyes  shut." 

"  You  can  hit  a  mark,"  corrected  Priscilla, 
"  but  not  the  right  one." 

Poor  Amy  submitted  to  her  friend's  mild 
reproof  without  attempting  to  defend  herself, 
and  withdrew  to  the  corner  in  a  very  subdued 
mood.  The  following  archers  were  more  suc- 
cessful. Many  times,  it  is  true,  the  arrow  fell 
splashing  into  the  water,  or  stuck  quivering 
in  the  sides  of  the  tub,  but,  occasionally,  it 
pierced  one  of  the  three  lucky  targets,  and  on 
such  occasions  the  whole  company  shouted 
joyfully.  Elaine  was  one  of  the  fortunate 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  77 

archers.  When  her  arrow  pierced  the  apple 
which  stood  for  happiness  her  lips  curled  a 
trifle;  yet  down  in  her  heart  she  was  conscious 
of  an  inconsistent  wish  that  the  green  apple 
might  be  a  true  prophet.  Happiness!  With  a 
little  ungirlish  sigh  Elaine  wondered  if  she  was 
to  find  it  on  Friendly  Terrace. 

It  was  Amy's  unlucky  night.  A  little  later, 
twelve  colored  candles,  each  standing  upright 
in  its  own  tiny  candle-stick,  were  ranged  the 
length  of  the  long  hall,  at  intervals  of  two  or 
three  feet,  burning  away  like  so  many  miniature 
light-houses.  "  These  stand  for  the  months," 
explained  Peggy;  "the  first  one  is  November, 
and  then  December,  and  so  on  around  the  year. 
If  you  jump  over  them  without  putting  them 
out,  you'll  have  good  luck  all  the  year." 

"  And  if  you  put  them  out?  "  inquired  Amy 
anxiously. 

"  Every  candle  that  goes  out  means  bad  luck 
for  that  particular  month.  Come,  Priscilla. 
You  try  it  first." 

In  spite  of  her  height,  Priscilla  was  as  light 
on  her  feet  as  a  fairy.  Drawing  her  skirts 
around  her,  she  went  hopping  down  the  hall 


78    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

so  lightly  that  she  left  the  whole  twelve  candles 
burning  behind  her.  The  applause  this  feat 
called  forth  was  less  enthusiastic  than  it  would 
have  been  a  little  later,  when  the  other  girls 
had  learned  by  experience  the  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  duplicating  Priscilla's  performance. 

While  Blanche  was  lamenting  over  the  fact 
that  the  three  candles  which  stood  for  the  sum- 
mer months  had  been  extinguished,  which  she 
interpreted  to  mean  that  she  was  to  be  disap- 
pointed in  certain  cherished  vacation  plans, 
Amy  came  forward  to  try  her  fate.  Clutching 
her  skirts  frantically,  she  jumped  over  the  first 
candle,  coming  down  with  a  thump  which  fairly 
shook  the  house,  while  the  cheery  little  flame 
which  stood  for  November  blinked  in  astonish- 
ment and  promptly  went  out.  Ten  times  did 
Amy  repeat  this  feat.  When  she  reached  the 
end  of  the  hall  only  one  of  the  twelve  candles 
remained  lighted,  and  the  girls  were  in  peals 
of  laughter. 

"  '  'Tis  the  last  rose  of  summer  left  blooming 
alone/  "  Peggy  quoted  tragically,  but  Amy  was 
in  no  mood  to  see  the  humor  of  the  situation. 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  anything  so  dread- 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  79 

ful?  "  she  moaned.  "  What  a  year!  Only  one 
lucky  month  in  it." 

The  girls  laughed  again  at  her  horrified 
tone,  and  Peggy  crossed  the  room  and  shook 
her  playfully. 

"  You're  actually  pale,  you  ridiculous,  super- 
stitious creature,"  she  said  severely.  "  As  if 
it  wasn't  all  a  joke.  I  guess  we'll  have  some 
refreshments  now  to  revive  you." 

The  refreshments  were  of  the  simplest  sort; 
nuts  and  apples,  with  plates  of  home-made 
candy,  but  they  added  vastly  to  the  evening's 
entertainment.  The  chestnuts  were  placed 
in  pairs  on  the  coals  of  the  grate  fire,  and  when 
they  bounded  apart,  as  the  most  of  them  did, 
great  excitement  developed  in  the  little  com- 
pany. From  the  English  walnuts,  tiny  vessels 
were  constructed  and  launched  in  couples  on 
the  troubled  waters  of  the  tub.  If  the  little 
craft  stuck  together  in  their  voyage  across,  the 
omen  was  counted  a  good  one,  while  their 
parting  company  was  hailed  with  lamentation. 

All  this  gaiety  had  taken  time.  The  hands  of 
the  clock  were  pointing  to  half  past  eleven. 
"  The  question  is,"  said  Peggy  solemnly, 


80    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  who's  to  be  the  one  to  go  down  the  cellar- 
stairs." 

Several  of  the  girls  shuddered,  but  no  one 
volunteered.  "  It  won't  be  me,"  cried  Amy, 
excitement  rendering  her  defiant  of  grammar. 
"  I  wouldn't  do  it  for  the  world;  would  you?  " 
she  added,  finding  Elaine's  eyes  fixed  on  her 
curiously. 

"  Do  what?    I  don't  understand." 

"  Why,  just  as  the  clock  is  striking  twelve, 
you  go  down  the  cellar-stairs,  with  a  candle  in 
one  hand  and  a  mirror  in  the  other." 

"  You  go  down  backward,"  Ruth  reminded 
her. 

"  0,  yes.  You  must  walk  backward.  And 
when  you  get  to  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  you 
set  the  mirror  down  somewhere  and  the  candle 
in  front  of  it,  and  begin  to  eat  an  apple." 

Apparently  the  solemnity  of  the  proceeding 
was  failing  to  make  due  impression  on  Elaine. 
Amy's  voice  became  thrillingly  mysterious. 

"  You  must  look  and  look  into  the  mirror 
as  hard  as  you  can,  all  the  time  that  you're 
eating  the  apple.  And,  before  you've  finished, 
a  face  will  be  looking  over  your  shoulder.  O 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  81 

my!  "  Amy  indulged  in  a  prolonged  shiver. 
"  I  wouldn't  do  it  for  worlds,"  she  repeated. 

"How  odd!  I  shouldn't  mind  it  at  all," 
said  Elaine. 

"  Why,  then  you  can  do  it,"  Peggy  cried. 
"  You're  just  the  one.  Light  that  red  candle, 
Priscilla.  No,  not  that.  The  largest  one. 
Here's  your  mirror  and  your  apple,  and  you 
must  be  ready  to  start  down  the  stab's  the 
minute  the  clock  begins  to  strike  twelve." 

"  It's  a  pretty  big  apple,  considering  what 
I've  had  already,"  laughed  Elaine.  "  Is  it 
necessary  to  eat  it  all?  " 

Peggy  assured  her  that  this  was  very  neces- 
sary, that  even  the  core  must  be  disposed  of, 
but  Amy  cast  upon  the  daring  stranger  a  glance 
of  unfeigned  admiration.  "  Isn't  she  brave?  " 
she  said  to  Blanche,  in  an  undertone,  and  a  little 
assenting  murmur  went  the  rounds.  Few  people 
are  displeased  by  earning  a  reputation  for  hero- 
ism cheaply,  and  Elaine  was  smiling  good- 
humoredly  as  she  took  her  stand  in  front  of 
the  cellar  door,  the  mirror  in  one  hand,  and  the 
lighted  candle  in  the  other,  while  she  held  the 
apple  in  her  teeth,  Peggy  assuring  her  gravely 


82    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

that  this  was  indispensable  to  the  success  of 
the  charm. 

The  grandfather's  clock  in  the  hall  began  to 
strike  in  its  usual  deliberate  fashion.  Peggy 
swung  the  door  open  and  closed  it  again  as 
Elaine  began  her  hesitating  descent  into  the 
darkness.  At  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  she 
found  two  boxes  placed  in  evident  preparation 
for  the  ceremony,  the  taller  against  the  wall, 
the  lower  just  in  front  of  it.  Elaine  set  down 
the  mirror,  placed  the  candle  beside  it,  and, 
seating  herself  on  the  smaller  box,  began  to 
eat  her  apple. 

It  was  very  still  upstairs.  Elaine  wondered 
smilingly  how  it  was  possible  for  so  many 
chatterboxes  to  preserve  so  protracted  a  silence. 
The  Friendly  Terrace  girls  were  a  jolly  crowd, 
that  was  certain,  especially  Peggy.  Elaine's 
heart  warmed  as  she  thought  of  the  stranger 
who  had  bidden  her  welcome  as  if  she  were 
already  a  friend.  If  there  were  more  people 
in  the  world  like  Peggy  - 

The  trend  of  her  thought  broke  off  sharply. 
The  candle  must  have  nickered.  That  was  the 
explanation  of  the  odd  appearance  in  the 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  83 

mirror.  She  leaned  forward  and  the  apple 
dropped  from  her  hand,  and  bumped  to  the 
cellar  floor.  From  the  dimly  lighted  disk,  two 
eyes  looked  back  at  her. 

In  the  momentary  confusion  of  her  ideas, 
Elaine  was  conscious  only  of  a  deep-rooted 
resentment  against  Amy.  It  was  her  foolish 
talk  and  her  shivers  which  had  got  on  her 
nerves  and  was  responsible  for  this  wild  fancy. 
And  while  her  common  sense  struggled  to  keep 
its  supremacy  over  her  growing  panic,  the  eyes 
rolled  in  the  mirror,  as  if  a  head  had  turned, 
and  something  brushed  her  cheek. 

Elaine's  shrieks  were  answered  by  a  chorus 
of  screams  from  the  room  above.  There  was  a 
wild  rush  of  feet  and  the  cellar  door  was  flung 
open.  Elaine  could  hear  Amy's  uplifted  voice 
declaring,  "  She's  seen  something!  I  tell  you 
she's  seen  something! "  As  Peggy  rushed 
madly  down  the  stairs  to  the  rescue  of  her 
guest,  a  big  tawny  shape  bounded  to  meet 
her. 

"Get  out  of  the  way,  Taffy.  Get  out!" 
Peggy  commanded  impatiently,  and  the  dog 
whined  his  disappointment  at  such  a  greeting. 


84    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

But  Elaine,  when  Peggy  reached  her,  was  laugh- 
ing and  crying  together. 

"  You  poor  darling!  "  Peggy  flung  her  arms 
about  her  friend  and  glared  defiantly  into  the 
darkness.  "  What  happened?  Did  you  see 
anything?  " 

"  It  must  have  been  the  —  the  dog,"  sobbed 
Elaine.  "  He  came  up  be-behind  me  so  softly, 
I  didn't  hear  him,  and  I  saw  his  eyes  in  the 
mirror.  I  d-didn't  know  he  was  down  here." 

By  the  time  the  two  had  got  upstairs,  merri- 
ment had  replaced  consternation  among  Peggy's 
guests.  The  appearance  of  Taffy,  waving  a  tri- 
umphant yellow  tail,  suggested  the  explana- 
tion of  the  mystery,  rather  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  some  whose  expectations  had  been  so 
highly  keyed  that  the  truth  seemed  really 
commonplace.  The  appearance  of  Elaine,  her 
lashes  moist,  and  her  lips  still  trembling,  was 
the  signal  for  friendly  advances  on  the  part  of 
all.  The  girls  gathered  about  the  crestfallen 
heroine,  patted  her,  petted  her,  praised  her 
courage  in  attempting  such  an  adventure,  and 
assured  her  that  none  of  them  would  have  been 
brave  enough  to  try  it.  Occasionally  a  hint  of 


A  HALLOWE'EN  PARTY  85 

patronage  peeped  through  the  comfort,  and 
Elaine  was  made  aware  that  she  had  forfeited 
her  reputation  for  courage  almost  as  soon  as 
she  had  made  it.  But,  on  the  whole,  the  kindli- 
ness was  comforting  to  a  girl  who  carried  a  sore 
spot  in  her  inmost  heart,  and  in  spite  of  the 
untoward  ending  Elaine  carried  home  a  very 
pleasant  impression  of  her  first  party  on 
Friendly  Terrace. 


CHAPTER  VI 

ELAINE   HAS   VISITORS 

IT  was  Priscilla  who,  on  the  way  home  from 
school  the  next  day,  suggested  stopping  to  see 
if  Elaine  had  quite  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  the  Hallowe'en  party.  She  made  the  remark 
to  Peggy,  but  Amy,  who  with  Ruth  was  walk- 
ing just  behind  the  others,  took  it  on  herself  to 
answer. 

"  Yes,  that  was  just  what  I  was  thinking. 
It  wouldn't  be  any  more  than  neighborly  after 
her  fright,  and  all  the  rest  of  it." 

Priscilla  choked  down  an  exasperated  sigh. 
She  said  to  herself  it  was  strange  Amy  couldn't 
realize  that  there  might  be  occasions  when  one 
wanted  Peggy  to  one's  self.  At  the  same  time 
it  was  not  altogether  Amy's  obtuseness  which 
was  responsible  for  the  difficulty  of  monopo- 
lizing Peggy's  society.  Peggy  herself,  with  her 
trick  of  liking  everybody,  and  expecting  all  her 
friends  to  like  one  another,  made  monopoly 
difficult,  if  not  impossible. 

86 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  87 

Accordingly  four  girls,  instead  of  two,  turned 
in  at  the  Marshall  cottage.  The  chatter  of 
voices  on  the  porch  told  Elaine  that  she  had 
visitors  and  she  came  to  the  door  in  something 
of  a  nutter,  for,  with  all  her  ah-  of  self-sufficiency, 
Elaine  was  shy  at  heart,  as  is  often  the  case 
with  people  who  hold  their  acquaintances  at 
arms'  length.  She  was  uncertain,  as  she  ad- 
mitted the  quartet,  whether  or  not  to  ask  them 
into  the  parlor,  but  Peggy,  who  had  caught 
sight  of  Mrs.  Marshall  seated  in  great  state  in 
the  living-room,  and  apparently  absorbed  in 
the  contemplation  of  a  steel-engraving  over  the 
mantel,  settled  the  question  by  bearing  down 
upon  the  engrossed  lady  and  giving  her  a  hearty 
greeting. 

Mrs.  Marshall  welcomed  her  daughter's  vis- 
itors with  an  air  nicely  balanced  between  cor- 
diality and  condescension.  Nearly  everything 
that  Mrs.  Marshall  said  and  did  conveyed  the 
impression  that  she  had  seen  better  days,  and 
that  she  would  not  submit  to  being  judged  by 
her  present  environment.  Peggy,  who  had  a 
perfect  mania  for  cheering  people,  found  Mrs. 
Marshall's  air  of  melancholy  a  perpetual  chal- 


88    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

lenge,  and,  when  Mrs.  Marshall  gave  her  a 
chance,  she  occasionally  succeeded  in  bringing 
a  smile  to  that  lady's  severe  countenance, 
much  to  her  own  delight,  and  to  Mrs.  Marsh- 
all's astonishment. 

She  dropped  into  a  chair  next  to  Elaine's 
mother,  and  addressed  her  as  soon  as  the  in- 
troductions were  over.  "  I  hope  you  weren't 
lonely  last  evening,  Mrs.  Marshall,  with  Elaine 
away." 

"  I  am  used  to  loneliness,  Miss  Margaret," 
Mrs.  Marshall  returned  pensively.  "It  is  one 
of  the  many  hard  things  to  which  I  am  now 
forced  to  accustom  myself.  When  I  was  Elaine's 
age  —  " 

Peggy  resigned  herself  to  listen  to  a  story  of 
past  glories  while  the  other  girls  plunged  into 
a  discussion  of  the  party.  "  What  a  fright  we 
all  had  when  you  screamed!  "  Amy  laughed. 
"  But,  of  course,  it  was  worse  for  you  than  for 
anybody  else.  Did  you  feel  all  right  this  morn- 
ing? "  ' 

"  I  felt  a  little  cheap,"  Elaine  acknowledged 
with  a  smile,  while  her  color  rose,  "  That  was  all." 

"  You're  not  the  only  one  to  feel  that  way," 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  89 

Priscilla  comforted  her.  "  There  were  some 
sheepish  boys  at  school  this  morning.  My 
father  is  the  high-school  principal,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  Peggy  spoke  of  it." 

"  Well,  in  the  middle  of  the  night  father 
thought  he  heard  a  little  noise  around  the 
house  and  he  dressed  and  went  out  to  the 
stable.  Everything  seemed  quiet,  and  he  was 
just  starting  to  go  in  again  when  he  heard  steps 
outside.  He  slipped  into  the  carriage,  just  to 
see  what  would  happen,  and  then  the  door 
opened  and  five  or  six  boys  came  creeping  in. 
They  took  hold  of  the  shafts  of  the  carriage 
and  started  off  at  a  good  trot,  with  father  sit- 
ting perfectly  quiet,  not  saying  a  word." 

Priscilla  stopped  to  laugh,  and  her  audience, 
especially  the  girls  who  knew  the  actors  in  the 
little  comedy,  joined  her  heartily.  Peggy, 
who  was  hearing  of  the  splendors  of  Mrs. 
Marshall's  coming-out  party,  to  which  festivity 
two  hundred  guests  had  been  invited,  cast  a 
wistful  glance  in  the  direction  of  the  laughing 
group,  and  then,  with  a  twinge  of  conscience, 
gave  redoubled  attention  to  the  tale  of  by-gone 
grandeur. 


90    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  They  carried  him  out  to  the  new  part  of 
town,"  said  Priscilla,  continuing  her  story, 
"  and  pulled  the  carriage  over  to  a  vacant  lot. 
And  they  were  feeling  so  well  satisfied  with 
themselves,  when  father  spoke  out  from  behind 
the  curtains,  in  his  very  deepest  voice.  '  Thank 
you  for  the  ride,  boys,'  he  said.  '  It  has  been 
very  enjoyable!  But  I  think  you  may  take  me 
home  now.'  Of  course  there  wasn't  anything 
else  for  them  to  do,  and  father  rode  home  in 
state.  He  made  them  pull  the  carriage  into  the 
stable,  and  then  he  got  out  and  locked  the  door 
and  thanked  them  again,  very  politely.  Father 
can  keep  as  grave  as  a  judge  even  when  he  is 
dying  to  laugh.  But  as  soon  as  he  got  into  the 
house  he  woke  mother  up  to  enjoy  the  joke. 
He  just  couldn't  wait  till  morning." 

"  I  guess  you  had  your  share  of  Hallowe'en 
pranks,  didn't  you?  "  asked  Amy,  turning  to 
Elaine. 

"  Why,  no.    What  made  you  think  so?  " 

"  When  that  carriage  passed  the  house  I 
woke  up.  It  was  a  sort  of  uncanny  noise,  you 
know,  wheels  and  footsteps,  instead  of  horses' 
hoofs.  I  suspected  that  something  queer  was 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  91 

happening  and  I  jumped  up  and  looked  out  of 
my  window,  but  the  carriage  had  gone  before 
I  could  get  there.  But  I  saw  somebody  on  your 
porch." 

"  The  boys  in  this  neighborhood  were  cer- 
tainly on  the  rampage  last  night,"  observed 
Ruth. 

"  But  this  wasn't  a  boy,"  explained  Amy. 
"  It  was  a  woman,  or  a  girl,  dressed  hi  a  long, 
loose  dress,  like  a  light  wrapper." 

"  How  mysterious  that  sounds,"  cried  Pris- 
cilla,  and  Peggy,  who,  to  her  great  relief,  had 
reached  the  end  of  the  coming-out  party,  put 
in  her  word.  "  It's  something  new  for  the  girls 
of  the  Terrace  to  go  out  playing  Hallowe'en 
tricks." 

"  But  it  wasn't  a  Hallowe'en  trick.  There 
wasn't  anything  out  of  order  this  morning," 
Elaine  insisted  sharply. 

"  It  was  something,  anyway.  I  was  as  wide 
awake  as  I  am  now.  It  walked  back  and  forth 
half  a  dozen  times,  while  I  stood  looking,  and 
then  it  seemed  to  disappear.  0,  girls,  you  don't 
suppose  — 

Amy's  eyes  were  opened  in  a  half-frightened 


92    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

stare.  A  girl  of  good  sense  in  many  respects, 
she  had  a  vein  of  superstition  in  her  make-up 
which  was  one  of  her  greatest  weaknesses. 
Peggy  broke  into  a  ringing  laugh. 

"  The  Spook  on  the  Porch,"  she  cried,  "  or 
the  Mystery  of  Friendly  Terrace.  O,  Amy, 
what  an  imagination  you  have!" 

"  It  wasn't  imagination  at  all,"  Amy  per- 
sisted stubbornly.  "  It  was  a  woman  or  some- 
thing—  in  a  trailing  dress.  I  wasn't  scared 
a  bit.  I  just  thought  it  was  a  Hallowe'en 
prank." 

"  Don't  you  think  it's  a  lot  colder  to-day?  " 
asked  Elaine  of  the  company  in  general.  Her 
tone  was  a  little  stiff,  and  Peggy,  glancing  in  her 
direction,  was  surprised  to  see  a  flush  of  annoy- 
ance on  her  new  friend's  face.  Mrs.  Marshall, 
too,  had  an  air  of  having  heard  enough  about 
this  nocturnal  intruder.  It  was  necessary  to 
change  the  subject  promptly,  especially  as 
Amy  and  Priscilla  seemed  disposed  to  fall  into 
an  argument  as  to  what  Amy  had  really  seen. 

"  I  haven't  asked  you  yet  if  you'd  help  in 
our  Bazar,  have  I?  "  exclaimed  Peggy,  address- 
ing Elaine.  "  It's  the  tenth  of  this  month. 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  93 

It  was  the  tenth  we  decided  on  at  last,  wasn't  it, 
Ruth?  " 

"  Yes,  the  tenth,"  Ruth  replied,  and  Priscilla 
took  up  the  explanation.  "  It's  for  the  Empty 
Stocking  Club.  We  buy  dolls  with  the  money 
we  make,  and  dress  them  afterward." 

"  And  it's  an  awful  lot  of  fun,"  said  Peggy. 
"  Fun  all  the  way,  first  making  the  things  for 
the  Bazar,  and  then  the  Bazar  itself,  and  then 
buying  the  dolls  and  dressing  them.  And  of 
course  giving  them  to  the  children  is  the  best 
fun  of  all."  She  looked  at  Elaine  expectantly, 
but,  to  her  surprise,  Elaine  hesitated. 

"  My  daughter  would  have  been  very  glad 
to  help  you  when  our  circumstances  were  dif- 
ferent," said  Mrs.  Marshall,  coming  to  Elaine's 
assistance.  "  My  family  have  always  given 
largely  to  charity.  Solicitors  for  philanthropic 
objects  often  said  to  my  father,  '  We  like  to 
come  to  you  first,  Mr.  Elwell,  because  you 
always  give  so  generously,  and  that  inspires 
others.'  And  Mr.  Marshall,  before  his  business 
reverses,  thought  nothing  of  writing  a  check 
for  a  hundred  dollars  for  a  worthy  cause." 

lt  The  trouble  with  me,"  said  Elaine  abruptly, 


94    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  is  that  it  is  all  I  can  do  to  help  myself."  She 
looked  about  the  little  circle,  somewhat  de- 
fiantly, and  Peggy,  who  knew  that  this  piece  of 
confidence  was  not  in  the  least  like  Elaine,  felt 
a  twinge  of  regret  at  having  unintentionally 
forced  her  to  make  such  an  admission. 

"  You  don't  understand.  Of  course  none  of 
us  can  give  big  things,"  she  explained  hastily. 
"  Now,  last  year,  one  of  the  best  sellers  at  our 
Bazar  was  as  simple  as  it  could  be,  and  it  hardly 
cost  anything.  It  was  only  a  gingham  belt, 
with  two  dangling  tapes,  and,  at  the  end  of 
each  tape,  a  square  of  gingham  padded  for 
lifting  things  out  of  the  oven.  They  really 
are  the  most  convenient  things;  for,  generally, 
when  the  cake's  ready  to  come  out,  you  can't 
find  anything  to  lift  it  with,  and  so  you  take 
your  apron,  or  else  a  dish  towel.  We  sold  them 
for  twenty  cents  apiece  and  took  orders  for  a 
lot  more  than  we  had  ready." 

"  And,  sometimes,  you  can  make  a  dear  little 
work-bag  out  of  pieces  you  have  in  the  house," 
suggested  Ruth.  "  I  made  a  real  pretty  one 
last  year:  don't  you  remember,  Peggy?  If  I 
had  a  piece  of  newspaper  I  could  show  you  just 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  95 

how  it  was  done.  You  can  use  scraps  of  silk 
and  ribbon  you  wouldn't  think  were  good  for 
anything." 

Somebody  found  the  necessary  newspaper, 
and  Ruth  hastily  constructed  a  pattern  of  the 
article  she  had  tried  to  describe,  while  Elaine 
listened,  her  color  rising  steadily.  The  girls 
had  misunderstood  her,  and  their  efforts  to 
show  her  how  she  could  help  without  being 
at  any  expense  added  to  her  sense  of  humilia- 
tion. What  she  had  really  meant  to  imply  was 
that  a  girl  situated  as  she  was,  should  be  ex- 
empt from  any  obligations  to  help  other  people. 
Elaine  looked  upon  herself  as  an  object  of  sym- 
pathy. It  was  bad  enough  to  face  the  prospect 
that  one's  own  stocking  would  be  empty  at 
Christmas  time  —  relatively  empty,  at  least 
-but  to  be  asked  to  help  fill  other  stockings 
was  adding  insult  to  injury. 

Yet  this,  hard  as  it  was,  did  not  cut  as  deeply 
as  the  suggestions  the  girls  were  now  making, 
with  the  best  intentions  in  the  world.  Poverty, 
from  Elaine's  standpoint,  was  equally  a  mis- 
fortune and  a  disgrace.  She  had  confessed 
defiantly  to  being  poor,  without  dreaming  that 


96    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

her  callers  would  take  her  at  her  word,  and 
proceed  on  the  assumption  that  in  her  case 
economy  was  really  a  matter  of  importance. 
When  Priscilla  started  in  with  a  description 
of  a  hat-pin  holder,  the  materials  of  which, 
she  assured  Elaine,  impressively,  wouldn't  cost 
more  than  ten  cents  at  the  outside,  Elaine  felt 
that  she  had  reached  the  limit  of  endurance. 

"  There!  "  she  exclaimed  as  if  the  thought 
had  just  occurred  to  her.  "  I  believe  I  have  a 
little  thing  ready  that  I  could  contribute." 
She  went  to  her  room,  a  sense  of  triumph  effa- 
cing the  intolerable  humiliation  of  the  past  few 
minutes.  The  sacrifice  she  was  about  to  make 
was  insignificant  compared  with  her  opportunity 
to  silence  her  advisers,  and  to  prove  that  in 
spite  of  the  reverses  with  which  the  family 
had  met,  she  could  be  as  generous  as  anybody. 

The  article  for  which  Elaine  was  looking  was 
put  away  carefully,  wrapped  in  tissue  paper. 
She  looked  at  it  with  brightening  eyes,  and 
returned  to  her  visitors  almost  jauntily. 

"  It's  a  little  thing  I  made  in  the  summer," 
she  observed  casually.  "  The  Irish  crochet  is 
awfully  popular,  you  know,  and  I  think  the 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  97 

pattern's  rather  pretty."  With  a  carelessness 
almost  too  pronounced,  she  dropped  her  offer- 
ing on  Peggy's  knee.  "  If  that  will  do  you  any 
good,  you're  quite  welcome  to  it." 

Peggy  was  staring  with  all  her  eyes.  "  Why, 
Elaine!  Why,  girls!  It's  a  collar.  Real  Irish 
crochet!  Isn't  it  gorgeous !" 

Such  as  it  was,  Elaine's  triumph  was  com- 
plete. The  girls  broke  into  exclamations  of 
admiration,  exchanging  bewildered  glances  as 
they  did  so. 

"  She  made  it  herself.  Isn't  she  a  wonder? 
There  won't  be  anything  at  the  Bazar  to 
compare  with  it." 

"  That  ought  to  bring  a  splendid  price.  Just 
think  of  the  dolls  we  can  buy  with  all  that 
money." 

"  It's  gorgeous,"  repeated  Peggy.  She  looked 
from  the  dainty  article  in  her  hand  toward  the 
giver.  "  Really,  Elaine,"  she  hesitated,  "  it's 
too  nice.  It's  more  than  you  ought  to  give." 

An  instant  reappearance  of  Elaine's  old 
hauteur  convinced  Peggy  that  she  had  blun- 
dered. "  If  I  am  going  to  give  anything," 
Elaine  said  with  dignity,  "  I  want  it  to  be  nice." 


98    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

The  tactful  Peggy  abandoned  her  well-in- 
tentioned effort  to  prevent  what  she  felt  sure 
was  a  piece  of  reckless  generosity.  "  Well, 
you've  done  it,"  she  laughed.  "  It's  pretty 
certain  that  we  won't  have  anything  else  nearly 
as  nice  as  this.  And,  Elaine,  you'll  help  us  the 
day  of  the  Bazar,  won't  you?  There'll  be  lots  to 
do,  selling  the  things,  and  serving  the  ice  cream, 
and  being  nice  to  the  people  who  come  in." 

Elaine  having  reinstated  herself  in  her  own 
eyes,  by  the  character  of  her  donation,  gra- 
ciously agreed  to  lend  whatever  assistance 
might  be  further  required,  and  then  everybody 
seemed  to  feel  at  the  same  moment  that  it  was 
time  to  go.  Priscilla  excused  herself  on  the 
ground  of  her  lessons.  "  With  your  school 
principal  for  a  father,"  she  explained,  "  you 
can't  afford  to  fail  very  often."  Ruth  remem- 
bered that  Graham  was  going  to  bring  some- 
body home  to  supper.  Amy  made  vague  refer- 
ences to  letters  that  must  be  written.  They 
moved  toward  the  door  with  less  chatter  and 
laughter  than  usually  characterizes  the  fare- 
wells of  girls  of  their  age.  At  the  foot  of  the 
walk  they  parted,  Amy  and  Peggy  walking  on 


ELAINE  HAS  VISITORS  99 

together,  while  the  other  two  turned  in  the  op- 
posite direction. 

"  Say,  Peggy!  "  Amy  cast  a  sidelong  glance 
at  her  companion.  "  Do  you  think  Elaine  is 
awfully  generous?  " 

Peggy's  eyes  opened.  "  Why,  it  was  very 
generous  to  give  us  that  collar,"  she  exclaimed. 
"  You  know  that  Irish  lace  - 

"  O,  yes,  I  know  all  about  it."  Under  Amy's 
careless  good  nature  a  shrewdness  of  observa- 
tion sometimes  cropped  out  in  a  rather  surpri- 
sing fashion.  "  It  was  generous,  if  she  cared 
about  the  Empty  Stockings,  but  something  in 
the  way  she  did  it  made  me  feel  as  if  it  was 
mostly  intended  to  impress  us." 

"  O,  Amy!  "  Peggy  was  unfeignedly  shocked. 
Amy  met  her  reproachful  gaze  and  surrendered 
with  a  laugh. 

"  You  funny  old  Peg! "  she  said  disrespect- 
fully. "  Well,  never  mind  why  she  did  it.  Our 
finances  will  get  quite  a  boost,  anyway.  Good 
night."  And  as  she  crossed  the  street,  she 
added  with  seeming  irrelevance,  "  I'm  sorry 
for  anybody  who  makes  such  hard  work  of 
being  poor." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE   BAZAR 

THE  next  ten  days  were  busy  ones  for  the 
girls  of  the  Terrace.  It  is  true  the  Bazar 
had  been  more  or  less  on  their  minds  through- 
out the  year,  and  many  of  them  had  devoted  a 
generous  share  of  their  summer's  leisure  to 
preparation,  but  now  industry  had  become  epi- 
demic. The  girls  met  at  one  another's  homes 
after  school,  and,  busy  as  their  tongues  were, 
those  nimble  organs  failed  to  outstrip  the  in- 
dustrious fingers. 

Elaine  was  not  invited  to  any  of  these  gath- 
erings, for  the  girls  all  felt  that  she  had  done  her 
full  share,  and  that  she  would  probably  con- 
sider herself  imposed  on,  if  asked  for  further 
assistance.  Dorothy,  on  the  other  hand,  was 
an  important  figure  at  almost  every  meeting. 
To  see  Dorothy  sewing  together  pieces  of  bright- 
colored  calico,  with  stitches  an  inch  long,  was 

a   constant   incentive   to   industry,   while  her 
100 


THE  BAZAR  101 


habit  of  waiting  till  an  article  was  completed 
before  deciding  on  the  use  to  which  it  should 
be  put,  enlivened  the  dullest  hours.  Dorothy 
scorned  to  ask  advice;  she  simply  put  her 
small  head  on  one  side,  studied  the  work  of  her 
hands  thoughtfully,  and,  after  wavering  for 
five  minutes  between  a  doll's  sunbonnet  and  a 
penwiper,  would  perhaps  surprise  the  company 
by  announcing  that  the  nondescript  article  was 
a  necktie  for  Aunt  Peggy. 

The  Bazar  was  usually  held  at  Ruth's  home, 
as  in  the  Wylie  cottage  two  rooms,  separated 
by  folding-doors,  could  be  thrown  into  one, 
while  the  front  hall  was  of  more  generous  pro- 
portions than  in  most  of  the  houses  of  the  Ter- 
race. On  the  memorable  Saturday  designated 
on  the  calendar  as  the  tenth,  the  Wylie  estab- 
lishment was  a  scene  of  activity  suggesting  a 
hive  of  bees  at  swarming  tune.  Girls  made 
their  appearance  laden  with  baskets  and  myste- 
rious parcels.  Graham  Wylie,  Ruth's  tall 
brother,  with  Dick  Raymond,  and  other  boys 
of  the  neighborhood,  made  themselves  useful 
bringing  small  tables  and  ferns,  borrowed  indis- 
criminately from  anyone  who  would  lend  them. 


102    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Elaine,  who  had  come  over  to  help,  had  a 
more  pleasant  sense  of  "  belonging  "  than  had 
been  hers  at  any  time  since  the  mud-splashed 
hack  had  deposited  her  at  the  door  of  the  only 
vacant  cottage  on  the  Terrace.  She  had  been 
assigned  to  assist  with  the  decorations,  and 
being  a  girl  of  excellent  taste  and  original  ideas, 
she  gradually  found  herself  taking  charge,  and 
directing  the  others.  This  was  pleasant  in 
itself,  and  the  approving  comments  called  forth 
by  the  arrangement  of  flags  over  the  mantel, 
and  the  bunching  of  the  palms  and  ferns  in  the 
front  hall,  brought  an  unwonted  color  to  Elaine's 
cheeks  and  brightness  to  her  eyes.  Peggy,  who 
was  accomplishing  as  much  as  any  other  half- 
dozen  of  the  workers,  paused  in  her  labors  long 
enough  to  admire  the  decorative  effects,  in- 
cluding the  remarkable  transformation  wrought 
in  Elaine's  case  by  a  bright  color  and  a  cheery 
smile. 

"  To  think  she  could  be  so  pretty,"  Peggy 
said  wonderingly,  and  then  finding  Graham  at 
her  elbow  she  started  and  colored  high. 

"  That  Marshall  girl,  you  mean?  "  queried 
Graham,  seemingly  unaware  of  her  confusion. 


THE  BAZAR  103 


"  Yes,  it  does  make  a  difference.  Most  of  the 
time  she  looks  a  mixture  of  starch  and  vinegar 
that  isn't  particularly  attractive.  What  ails 
her,  anyway?  " 

"  I  don't  know."  It  struck  Peggy,  as  she 
replied,  that  all  she  knew  of  Elaine's  affairs 
was  singularly  inadequate  to  account  for  the 
weary,  disillusioned  look  which  was  the  other 
girl's  habitual  expression.  "  You  know  they 
used  to  be  quite  well  off,"  Peggy  explained,  as 
Graham  helped  her  move  a  table  which  was 
taking  up  more  than  its  share  of  the  room.  "  I 
guess  it's  more  comfortable  never  to  have  much, 
than  to  have  it  and  lose  it." 

It  was  not  till  after  one  o'clock  that  every- 
thing was  ready.  The  fancy  work  tables  were 
in  the  front  room,  and  the  display  proved  that 
the  loyalty  of  the  Terrace  girls  to  a  good  cause 
was  not  of  the  flash-in-the-pan  variety.  Many 
days  of  hard  work  were  represented  on  those 
crowded  tables,  and,  though  the  skill  of  the 
workers  varied,  the  average  was  commendable. 
Elaine's  collar  had  the  place  of  honor,  with  a 
background  of  black  velvet  to  set  off  its  deli- 
cately intricate  pattern.  In  the  back  parlor 


104    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

were  the  candy  and  ice-cream  tables,  as  well 
as  the  little  tea-table,  over  which  Priscilla  was 
to  preside,  the  latter  being  a  concession  to  the 
old  ladies  who  no  longer  possessed  a  "  sweet 
tooth,"  and  who  shivered  at  the  suggestion  of 
ice  cream  in  November. 

The  girls  flew  home  to  swallow  a  hasty  dinner, 
without  any  very  definite  idea  as  to  what  they 
were  eating,  and  then  hurried  themselves  into 
their  best  clothes,  and  were  back  again  a  good 
half-hour  before  the  advertised  time  for  open- 
ing the  Bazar.  "  From  three  to  ten  "  the  an- 
nouncements had  read,  and  when  the  grand- 
father's clock  in  the  hall  struck  the  first-named 
hour  there  was  a  general  craning  of  necks,  as 
if  with  the  expectation  of  seeing  a  procession 
of  patrons  ascending  the  front  steps.  Nobody 
was  in  sight,  however,  and  some  faces  assumed 
an  expression  of  anxiety. 

"  Three  o'clock  and  not  a  soul  here,"  Ruth 
said  tragically.  "  0,  dear!  I  hope  that  some- 
body'll  come  after  we've  all  worked  so  hard." 

"  There's  a  splendid  concert  at  the  Lyric  this 
afternoon.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  that  took  a 
great  many  people  who  might  have  come  here," 


THE  BAZAR  105 


observed  Priscilla,  with  an  air  of  being  prepared 
for  the  worst. 

"  I  thought  all  the  time  that  we  should  have 
some  hand-bills,"  Amy  exclaimed.  "  You  tell 
people,  and  you  put  up  notices  in  the  drug- 
store, but  that  isn't  enough.  There  ought  to 
be  hand-bills  distributed  the  night  before." 

The  spirits  of  the  company  were  rapidly  ap- 
proaching the  zero  point  when  Peggy  came  to 
the  rescue  with  one  of  her  sunny  suggestions, 
which  appreciably  raised  the  temperature. 
"  Why,  it's  only  three  o'clock.  People  never 
come  exactly  on  time  to  things  of  this  sort." 
Then  she  recounted  Dorothy's  latest  escapade 
and  set  them  all  to  laughing. 

But  when  the  hands  of  the  clock  pointed  to 
twenty  minutes  past  three,  Peggy's  utmost 
efforts  were  unequal  to  the  task  of  keeping  up 
the  spirits  of  the  little  crowd.  Various  explana- 
tions were  advanced  for  the  failure  of  the 
Bazar.  Peggy's  opinion  was  asked  as  to 
whether  or  not  Murvin  would  take  back  the 
ice  cream.  And  then  the  atmosphere  of  gloom 
was  dissipated  by  the  sound  of  the  door-bell. 

It  was  an  old  lady  whom  Dick  Raymond, 


106    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

acting  door-keeper,  admitted  to  the  Bazar,  a 
rather  shabby  old  lady,  who  walked  with  a 
limp,  and  had  a  market  basket  on  her  arm.  It 
is  doubtful  whether  her  arrival  would  have 
been  regarded  as  an  important  event  anywhere 
outside  of  Mrs.  Wylie's  parlors.  But  at  the 
sight  of  her  rusty  black  bonnet  the  creases  sud- 
denly vanished  from  anxious  faces  and  dimples 
appeared  in  their  stead.  She  was  the  first 
arrival,  and  possessed  all  the  mysterious  charm 
that  attaches  itself  to  the  first  blue-bird  or  the 
first  violet. 

She  was  an  appreciative  old  lady,  too.  She 
referred  to  the  hand-painted  paper-dolls,  which 
formed  the  major  part  of  Priscilla's  contribu- 
tion, as  "  pretty  little  images,"  and  admired 
some  crocheted  wash-cloths,  with  pink  edges, 
under  the  impression  that  they  were  a  substan- 
tial sort  of  doily.  Only  when  her  attention  was 
called  to  a  drawnwork  handkerchief  did  she 
become  critical. 

"  Mine  gets  holes  in  'em  fast  enough  without 
beginnin'  that  way,"  said  the  old  lady,  laughing 
heartily  at  her  own  wit,  and  everybody  laughed 
in  sympathy.  She  wound  up  her  exhaustive 


THE  BAZAR  107 


examination  of  all  the  articles  displayed  by  the 
purchase  of  a  holder  and  five  cents'  worth  of 
peanut  brittle.  As  she  limped  down  the  steps 
she  met  three  or  four  ladies  coming  up,  but  not 
one  of  them  elicited  the  enthusiasm  which  had 
been  the  spontaneous  tribute  to  the  first  arrival. 
By  quarter  after  four  the  rooms  were  buzzing, 
and  busy  as  Elaine  was,  she  found  opportunity 
to  admire  the  resourcefulness  of  Peggy.  It 
was  Peggy  who  soothed  the  feelings  of  the  girl 
who  thought  that  they  should  have  charged 
more  for  her  bureau  scarf,  and  who  propitiated 
the  patron  who  felt  that  she  had  paid  more 
than  was  right  for  a  hem-stitched  towel.  It 
was  Peggy  who  came  to  the  assistance  of  a 
perplexed  "  saleslady "  who  could  not  think 
how  much  change  was  due  her  customer,  and 
who  took  charge  of  wrapping  some  peculiarly 
obstinate  article,  and  it  was  also  Peggy  who 
found,  for  the  lady  who  was  aggrieved  over  dis- 
covering that  something  she  wanted  had  been 
sold  to  another  purchaser,  a  similar  article  which 
suited  her  just  as  well.  Peggy  seemed  to  have 
the  faculty  of  being  every  where  at  once.  She 
was  equal  to  all  the  little  crises  of  the  occasion. 


108    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  manage  it,"  Elaine  said 
to  her  during  a  temporary  lull  in  the  proceed- 
ings, late  in  the  afternoon.  Compliments  were 
rare  on  Elaine's  lips,  and  Peggy,  looking  up, 
had  no  idea  that  she  was  being  complimented. 
"  Manage  what?  "  she  asked. 

"  0,  helping  everybody  out,  and  smoothing 
everybody  down,  and  the  queer  part  is  that  you 
keep  so  cheerful  about  it." 

Peggy  smiled  a  little. 

"  The  queer  part,  as  you  call  it,  is  really  the 
secret,  if  I've  got  any  secret.  If  you  keep 
cheerful  and  are  polite,  and  don't  lose  your 
head,  it's  easy  enough  to  get  other  folks  to  see 
things  the  way  you  do." 

By  six  o'clock  the  girls  were  tired  but  tri- 
umphant. Peggy's  cheery  prophesies  had  been 
more  than  realized,  and  from  eight  to  ten  they 
were  sure  of  another  period  of  activity,  which 
would,  in  all  probability,  empty  their  tables 
and  fill  their  treasury.  The  workers  hurried 
home  for  a  supper,  even  more  of  a  form  than 
dinner  had  been,  and  were  back  on  duty  before 
there  was  any  chance  of  new  arrivals. 

On  the  cheerful  group,  comparing  notes  as 


THE  BAZAR  109 


to  the  day's  experiences  and  calculating  the 
probable  gains,  by  methods  which  brought 
startlingly  diverse  results,  Ruth  descended  like 
a  whirlwind.  "  Girls,  the  ice  cream's  gone." 

"  Gone!  "  echoed  a  blank  chorus,  and  Peggy, 
as  usual  the  first  to  rally,  exclaimed,  "  Why,  I 
don't  see  how  that  can  be.  We  didn't  have  —  " 

"  No,  no,  you  don't  understand,"  cried  poor 
Ruth,  wringing  her  hands.  "  We  only  used  one 
freezer  of  ice  cream  this  afternoon.  But  the 
other  one,  the  big  one,  has  disappeared." 

"  Stolen!  "  Priscilla  gasped.  "  Well,  any- 
body who's  mean  enough  to  steal  from  empty- 
stocking  children!  " 

"  That'll  cut  down  our  profits  dreadfully," 
groaned  Amy. 

Peggy  roused  herself.  "  Maybe  there's  some 
mistake,"  she  cried.  "  It  almost  seems  as  if 
there  must  be  some  mistake.  Let's  look  out- 
side." 

There  was  a  rush  for  the  back  door,  despite 
Graham  Wylie's  philosophical  suggestion  that 
a  ten-quart  ice  cream  freezer  was  a  difficult 
thing  to  mislay.  The  November  night  was 
starless  and  chilly,  and  most  of  the  girls,  after 


110    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

taking  a  disconsolate  view  of  the  landscape, 
withdrew  shivering  to  the  warmth  within,  to 
bemoan  their  misfortune.  Perhaps  Peggy 
found  it  harder  to  give  up  than  most  people  do. 
She  went  down  the  walk  to  the  alley,  Graham 
following. 

"  It's  such  a  big  thing,"  observed  Peggy  over 
her  shoulder,  "  that  you  wouldn't  think  it 
could  get  very  far  without  attracting  attention. 
You  don't  suppose  - 

"  Sh!  "  warned  Graham  suddenly,  and  both 
went  forward  on  tiptoe.  Further  up  the  alley 
sounded  a  curious  bumping  noise.  A  murmur 
of  voices  broke  the  hush  of  the  night. 

Graham  felt  for  the  bolt  of  the  back  gate, 
found  it  already  drawn,  and  smiled,  well 
pleased.  The  voices  outside  were  audible  by 
now. 

"  Say,  that's  far  enough." 

"  'Tain't  far  enough  till  it's  inside,  kid.  You 
don't  s'pose  they's  goin'  to  look  fer  ice  cream  in 
no  alley,  do  you?  " 

Something  bumped  against  the  gate.  Slowly 
it  opened,  and  a  capped  head  appeared.  Then 
Graham  pounced;  there  was  a  thud  and  a  wild 


THE  BAZAR  111 


scampering,  and  Peggy  flew  to  the  rescue  of 
the  overturned  freezer. 

The  two  small  boys  who  had  walked  into  the 
trap  were  no  match  for  the  young  collegian, 
who  was  training  for  the  hundred  yard  dash 
next  field  day.  If  the  boys  had  run  in  the  same 
direction  he  would  have  had  them  both,  but  as 
one  went  east  and  the  other  west,  he  was  obliged 
to  make  a  choice.  He  came  back  holding  at 
arm's  length  an  urchin  whose  squirmings  were 
the  most  extraordinary  display  of  agility  that 
Peggy  could  remember  to  have  witnessed. 

"  Don't  try  to  carry  that  freezer,"  exclaimed 
Graham,  as  he  returned  with  his  struggling 
captive.  "  We'll  send  some  of  the  boys  out  for 
it.  And  now  let's  come  inside  and  see  what 
we've  got  here." 

Graham's  captive  proved  to  be  a  small  boy 
with  carroty  hair,  innumerable  freckles,  and  a 
square  chin,  which,  at  this  moment,  seemed 
possessed  of  sufficient  stubbornness  to  equip 
a  regiment.  His  coat  had  at  one  time  been 
too  large  for  him,  but  had  been  fitted  to  his 
diminutive  person  by  cutting  the  sleeves  off  at 
the  elbows  and  pinning  the  surplus  of  the  back 


112    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

over  into  a  large  plait  by  means  of  safety 
pins.  His  shoes  were  so  large  that  Peggy  no 
longer  wondered  at  the  peculiar  flapping  echo 
of  the  footsteps  heard  in  the  alley. 

"  Well,  you  young  scamp!  "  Graham  held 
his  captive  under  the  chandelier  and  scowled 
down  upon  him  impressively.  "  You're  ma- 
king a  nice  early  start,  you  are.  Do  you  know 
where  you're  likely  to  end  up,  if  you  keep  on 
this  way?  " 

If  the  boy  knewr,  he  had  no  intention  of  tell- 
ing. To  all  appearances  he  was  both  deaf  and 
dumb.  His  mouth  had  become  a  straight, 
rather  bluish  line,  above  his  defiant  little 
chin. 

"  No  tongue,  eh?  Well,  I  guess  we  can  find 
a  way  to  make  you  talk.  Just  step  to  the 
'phone,  one  of  you,"  added  Graham  over  his 
shoulder,  "  and  call  up  the  police  station." 

There  was  a  chorus  of  protests. 

"  O,  no,  Graham.    He's  so  little." 

"  And  we've  got  the  ice  cream  back,  Graham, 
so  no  harm's  done." 

Peggy  flung  herself  into  the  discussion. 
"  Why,  Graham,  he  was  bringing  it  back." 


THE  BAZAR  113 


"  Bringing  it  back,"  sneered  Graham.  "  Why 
should  he  steal  it,  and  then  bring  it  back?  " 
The  logic  was  irresistible,  but  Peggy  was  a  girl 
who  never  allowed  logic  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
her  facts. 

"  I  don't  know.  But  I  know  he  was  bring- 
ing it  back.  They  were  way  up  the  alley  when 
we  heard  them  first,  and  they'd  got  to  the 
gate  and  had  it  open,  when  you  jumped  at 
them." 

The  lids  of  the  small  prisoner  fluttered,  lifted, 
and  dropped  again,  but  in  that  instant  a  glance 
had  sped  straight  as  an  arrow  to  Peggy.  The 
eyes  had  uttered  an  appeal  which  the  stubborn 
lips  would  not  speak. 

"  You  were  bringing  it  back,  weren't  you?  " 
Peggy  exclaimed.  "  Tell  us  about  it." 

The  boy  squirmed,  cast  another  furtive  glance 
at  Peggy,  and  seemed  to  find  encouragement 
in  her  air  of  sympathetic  attention.  His  mouth 
opened ;  and  a  hoarse  voice  exploded  two  words, 
as  if  they  had  been  cannon  crackers. 

"  Skinny  said  -  Then,  apparently  over- 
come by  the  effect  of  his  beginning,  he  came  to 
a  full  stop. 


114    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  That's  right,"  Peggy  encouraged  him. 
"  What  was  it  Skinny  said?  " 

Another  period  of  squirming,  as  if  the 
small  figure  were  a  corkscrew  set  to  remove 
some  obstruction  to  the  free  flow  of  speech,  and 
as  if  a  cork  had  really  popped  out,  the  explana- 
tion bubbled  forth  at  last. 

"  Skinny  said  you  was  gettin'  money  for  the 
empty  stockin'  kids,  an'  so  - 

"  And  so  you  brought  it  back,"  exclaimed 
Peggy,  including  the  entire  company  in  her 
triumphant  glance. 

"  Yes,  Miss.  I  uster  go  to  them  shows  my- 
self," said  the  boy  with  an  air  suggesting  that 
his  youth  was  at  least  a  score  of  years  behind 
him.  "  They's  all  right,  they  is." 

There  was  a  certain  honesty  about  the  boy's 
manner,  in  spite  of  the  transgression  hi  which 
he  had  been  detected,  and  this,  coupled  with 
the  undeniable  fact  that  he  was  returning  the 
ice  cream  freezer  when  captured,  resulted  in  a 
reversal  of  public  sentiment.  Little  kindly 
murmurs  passed  from  one  to  another,  and  even 
Graham  did  not  have  the  heart  to  make  further 
references  to  the  police.  "  Well,  youngster,"  he 


THE  BAZAR  115 


said  gruffly,  "  guess  you'd  better  skip.  And 
just  remember  that  you  won't  get  off  so  easy 
the  next  time." 

The  boy's  instantaneous  acceptance  of  the 
permission  had  carried  him  as  far  as  the  next 
room  when  he  was  checked  by  Peggy.  "  Wait 
a  minute,"  she  cried,  "  I've  got  something  for 
you."  She  met  Graham's  air  of  disapproving 
inquiry  with  a  suggestion  of  defiance.  "  I'm 
going  to  give  him  a  little  ice  cream,"  she  ex- 
plained. 

"  Well,  I  like  that!  "  Graham  was  plainly  in- 
dignant. "  He's  lucky  not  to  be  in  the  lock-up, 
and  here  you  are  petting  and  pampering 
him.  That's  just  like  a  girl.  You  know  per- 
fectly," he  scolded,  as  Peggy  dished  out  the  ice 
cream  with  a  liberal  hand,  "  that  people  who 
do  things  of  that  sort  ought  to  be  made  to 
smart  for  it." 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Peggy  over  her  shoul- 
der. "  Nobody  made  you  smart  when  you 
Sophomores  stole  the  ice  cream  at  the  Fresh- 
man banquet." 

"0,  that!"  exclaimed  Graham,  reddening. 
"  That  was  different." 


116    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Yes,"  Peggy  acknowledged  generously,  "  It 
was  different.  As  far  as  I  know,  you  never  took 
it  back."  And  with  this  parting  shot  she  car- 
ried the  well-filled  saucer  to  the  boy  waiting  at 
the  kitchen  door. 

The  rapidity  with  which  the  ice  cream  dis- 
appeared was  startling,  to  say  the  least.  As  a 
half-starved  dog  bolts  his  rations  of  raw  meat 
so  Peggy's  protege  gulped  down  pink  wedges 
of  the  unyielding  dainty  in  a  manner  suggest- 
ing that  his  digestive  apparatus  must  be  of  a 
peculiar  and  unproved  pattern.  When  the 
saucer  was  scraped  clean  he  rolled  his  eyes  in 
Peggy's  direction  in  a  manner  which  might 
have  been  intended  to  indicate  gratitude,  or 
which  might  be  preliminary  to  a  seizure  of  some 
kind. 

"  Do  you  feel  all  right?  "  asked  Peggy  in  alarm. 

"  You  bet,"  the  hoarse  voice  assured  her, 
adding,  as  an  afterthought,  "  That  stuff's  out 
of  sight." 

Peggy  forebore  to  explain  that  the  rapidity 
with  which  the  delicacy  in  question  had  been 
put  out  of  sight  was  the  ground  of  her  uneasi- 
ness. "  What  is  your  name?  "  she  inquired. 


THE  RAPIDITY  WITH  WHICH  THE  ICE  CHEAM  DISAPPEARED 
WAS    STARTLING,    TO   SAY   THE    LEAST." 


THE  BAZAR  117 


"  Jimmy  Dunn."  The  gray  eyes  met  her 
own  squarely  and  she  was  confirmed  in  her 
opinion  that  they  were  honest  eyes. 

"  Well,  Jimmy,  it  wasn't  right  for  you  to  take 
our  ice  cream,  but  it  was  very-  '  Peggy 
searched  for  a  word  in  the  boy's  vocabulary  — 
"  It  was  very  white  of  you  to  bring  it  back.  I 
like  you  and  I  hope  I'll  see  you  again.  Good 
night." 

The  door  swung  ajar  and  the  queer,  ungainly 
little  figure  slipped  through  the  opening.  Then 
it  turned.  "  Same  to  you,"  said  the  hoarse 
voice,  and  Peggy  heard  the  big  shoes  clatter 
on  the  walk,  as  the  wearer  raced  to  the  gate. 
And  though  that  was  the  most  successful  Bazar 
the  girls  of  the  Terrace  had  ever  held,  and  the 
spirit  of  self-congratulation  ran  high,  perhaps 
the  pleasantest  memory  that  Peggy  carried 
home  with  her  was  that  exchange  of  compli- 
ments on  the  back  doorsteps. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

AT   HOME   WITH   THE   DUNNS 

"  I  CAN'T,"  said  Peggy.  "  I've  got  to  make 
a  call  after  school." 

Priscilla,  who  had  suggested  a  trip  to  the 
public  library,  to  look  up  some  of  the  history 
references  for  the  next  day,  glanced  at  her 
friend  askance.  "0,"  she  said  in  a  voice  of 
deep  meaning,  "  I  can't  imagine  what  you  see 
in  that  Elaine  Marshall." 

"  Can't  you?  "     Peggy's  tone  was  cheery. 

"  O,  she's  well  enough.  But  to  choose  her 
for  an  intimate  friend!  You're  the  only  one  of 
us  who  really  likes  her,  you  know." 

"  It's  lucky  I  like  her  so  much,  then,"  sug- 
gested Peggy,  still  reprehensibly  cheerful. 

"  O,  yes,  it's  lucky  for  her.  Nobody  would 
deny  that.  But  as  far  as  you're  concerned, 
Peggy,  I  don't  know.  Of  course  the  more  in- 
timate you  get  with  her,  the  less  you  see  — 

118 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         119 

Now,  Peggy  Raymond,  I'd  like  to  know  what 
you're  laughing  at." 

Peggy's  pent-up  chuckle  had  broken  in  on  the 
conversation  with  rather  startling  effect.  As  a 
tease,  Peggy  was  not  an  unqualified  success, 
since  she  never  had  the  heart  to  carry  her  teas- 
ing to  the  climax.  "  I  was  only  laughing  at 
your  dragging  Elaine  into  it,"  she  explained 
blithely.  "  I'm  not  going  to  see  her.  I'm 
going  to  call  on  the  Dunns." 

Priscilla  wavered  between  offence  and  curi- 
osity. Peggy  tipped  the  balance  by  giving  her 
friend's  arm  a  good-natured  squeeze. 

"  The  Dunns,"  repeated  Priscilla  hastily, 
as  if  glad  to  get  away  from  the  previous  topic 
of  conversation.  "  Where  do  they  live?  " 

"  Glen  Echo  Avenue." 

"  Pretty  name,  but  I  don't  know  it." 

"  It's  over  across  the  tracks,  just  beyond." 

"Why,  Peggy  Raymond,  I  didn't  suppose 
anybody  lived  over  there." 

"  Lots  of  people  do.    Scads  of  'em." 

"  I  didn't  mean  that,  Peggy.  Of  course  I 
meant  the  kind  of  people  one  goes  to  see." 

"  I  never  went  to  see  these  people  before," 


120    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Peggy  admitted.  "  But  I've  wanted  to  ever 
since  the  night  of  the  Bazar.  That  boy,  you 
know  —  " 

"  0,  the  ice  cream  boy!  Was  he  a  Dunn?  " 
"  Jimmy  Dunn.  I  saw  him  on  the  street  the 
other  day,  and  asked  him  where  he  lived.  He's 
an  awful  little  rag-bag,  and  Graham  Wylie 
calls  him  all  sorts  of  names,  but  there's  some- 
thing about  him  I  can't  help  liking.  And  I 
thought  I'd  see  what  sort  of  woman  his  mother 
was.  Sometimes  we  have  an  extra  woman  in 
to  scrub,  at  house-cleaning  time,  though  I  must 
say,"  Peggy  concluded  thoughtfully,  "  that 
judging  from  Jimmy,  she  wouldn't  be  much 
of  a  success  as  a  scrubber." 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  Priscilla  said,  taking 
Peggy's  arm.  "  It  isn't  a  suitable  neighbor- 
hood for  you  to  go  alone."  Now  that  she  had 
learned  that  Peggy  was  not  planning  to  call 
upon  Elaine,  Priscilla's  mood  had  become  ex- 
tremely affectionate.  She  pressed  the  arm  she 
held.  She  complimented  the  way  Peggy  was 
doing  her  hah*.  While  she  did  not  acknowledge 
to  herself  that  her  impulse  to  be  agreeable  had 
its  root  in  the  knowledge  that  she  had  just  been 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         121 

very  disagreeable,  Peggy  recognized  her  friend's 
unusual  demonstrativeness  as  an  effort  at  at- 
onement, and  she  met  her  half  way. 

An  idealist  of  the  most  pronounced  type  must 
have  christened  Glen  Echo  Avenue.  The  ob- 
jects on  the  landscape  most  closely  resembling 
glens,  were  the  grimy  coal-sheds  along  the 
track,  while  it  would  have  been  hard  for  a  pro- 
fessional riddle-guesser  to  say  why  the  little 
twisting,  squalid  street  should  have  been  dig- 
nified with  the  name  of  avenue.  A  goat,  with 
oblique,  uncanny  eyes,  occupied  apparently 
in  the  mastication  of  a  paper  bag,  gazed  at  the 
girls  as  they  passed,  and  swarms  of  dirty  chil- 
dren paused  hi  their  play  to  take  stock  of  the 
strangers. 

"  Does  Mrs.  Dunn  live  anywhere  around 
here? "  Peggy  inquired,  addressing  a  curly- 
haired  little  girl  with  enormous  black  eyes, 
and  gold  rings  in  her  ears.  Another  girl,  with 
fiery  red  hair,  pushed  forward. 

"  Mary  can't  understand  English,"  she  ex- 
plained importantly.  "  She's  a  dago  and  her 
folks  ain't  been  here  long.  Who  are  you  looking 
for?  " 


122    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  want  to  find  Mrs.  Dunn,  Jimmy  Dunn's 
mother." 

A  babel  of  shrill  voices  at  once  gave  direc- 
tions, which  the  pointing  forefingers  rendered 
unnecessary.  As  Peggy  descended  the  steps 
which  led  to  the  Dunn's  front  door,  placed,  for 
some  inexplicable  reason,  some  feet  below  the 
street  level,  she  reflected  that  in  Glen  Echo 
Avenue  the  name  of  Jimmy  Dunn  had  proved 
effective.  She  was  about  to  knock,  when  the 
red-haired  girl  pushed  by  and  opened  the  door. 

"  Mis'  Dunn,"  she  screamed.  "  0,  Mis' 
Dunn,  you  got  company.  Come  right  along," 
she  added,  looking  over  her  shoulder.  The  girls 
followed  as  she  led  the  way,  uncomfortably 
aware  that  all  the  children  from  the  street 
were  crowding  in  after  them,  apparently  re- 
solved to  lose  no  detail  of  the  interview. 

Mrs.  Dunn  was  seated  by  the  kitchen  stove, 
with  a  baby  in  her  arms.  She  was  a  flabby 
woman,  with  a  double  chin,  which  seemed  su- 
perfluous, considering  that  poor  Jimmy  had 
scarcely  flesh  enough  to  cover  one  chin  re- 
spectably. She  eyed  her  callers  with  an  air 
more  hostile  than  hospitable. 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         123 

"  If  you're  lookin'  for  somebody  to  wash," 
she  said  abruptly,  "  'tain't  no  use  comin'  here. 
My  health  don't  allow  of  more  than  rubbin'  out 
a  few  pieces  for  the  children." 

Peggy  explained  that  their  call  was  purely 
social,  and  Mrs.  Dunn's  manner  lost  its  cold 
aloofness. 

"  Isabel,"  she  exclaimed,  addressing  a 
freckled  child  whom  Peggy  knew  at  a  glance 
must  be  one  of  Jimmy's  sisters,  "  clean  off 
some  chairs  for  the  young  ladies.  Set  the  po- 
tatoes behind  the  stove.  The  kindlings  might 
as  well  go  under  the  bed.  'Liza,"  she  added  to 
the  red-haired  girl,  who,  with  her  usual  officious- 
ness,  was  lending  a  hand,  "  now  there's  a  tea- 
towel  hanging  up  over  the  sink ;  take  that,  some 
o'  you,  and  dust  the  chairs  off  good.  No,  don't 
bother  about  the  rungs,  Estelle.  They  ain't 
going  to  set  on  the  rungs,  be  they?  Some  o' 
you  don't  use  the  sense  you  was  born  with." 

And  so  amid  a  confusion  in  which  Mrs.  Dunn 
sat  calm  and  unperturbed,  giving  her  orders, 
two  chairs  were  cleared  and  the  girls  seated 
themselves.  Peggy,  who  had  discovered  that  a 
baby  is  always  a  safe  entering  wedge  as  a  topic 


124    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

of  conversation,  ventured  to  pat  the  round 
cheek  of  the  child  in  Mrs.  Dunn's  arms. 
"  That's  a  nice  fat  baby,  Mrs.  Dunn,"  she  said, 
and  the  compliment  was  not  a  careless  bid  for 
the  mother's  favor.  To  Peggy  all  babies  were 
nice,  though  some  were  nicer.  This  baby  was 
too  dirty  to  admit  of  the  comparative  degree, 
though  he  was  surprisingly  plump  considering 
ois  surroundings. 

Mrs.  Dunn  groaned. 

"  He  may  look  fat  enough,  but  I've  been  up 
with  him  night  and  day  all  winter,"  she  said. 
"  Amonia  of  the  lungs  'twas,  and  the  mumps 
first  of  November.  So  much  nursin'  is  bad  for 
me  on  account  of  my  heart." 

"  Do  you  have  heart  trouble?  "  asked  Peggy, 
alarmed. 

"  Yes,  Miss.  But  that's  not  the  worst.  I've 
got  a  disease  that  will  take  me  off  some  day,  I 
s'pose."  She  lowered  her  voice  thrillingly. 
"  Lots  of  folks  die  of  it.  You'll  see  by  the 
papers.  It's  complication." 

"  Complication!  "  Peggy  and  Priscilla  ex- 
changed glances. 

"  Complication,"  repeated  Mrs.  Dunn,  as  if 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         125 

determined  to  make  no  concessions.  "  I  guess 
it's  pretty  near  the  most  fatal  of  any.  You  can 
buy  things  at  any  drug  store  to  cure  consump- 
tion and  amonia  of  the  lungs,  but  there  ain't 
a  cure  for  complication.  I  ast  the  druggist 
myself  and  he  said  he  didn't  know  of  none." 

Peggy  attempted  to  change  the  subject  to 
something  less  depressing.  "  I  don't  suppose 
Jimmy  is  home?  " 

"  No,  Miss.    He's  off  sellin'  papers." 

"  He's  left  school,  has  he?  It's  a  pity,  for  he 
seems  so  bright." 

"  Jimmy's  been  through  the  fourth  grade," 
said  Mrs.  Dunn.  "  He  can  read  well  enough 
for  anybody.  And  Francesca,  she  pretty  near 
finished  the  fourth  grade,  too,  and  she's  in  the 
factory  now.  In  the  spring  they're  going  to 
give  her  a  machine." 

"  Isn't  she  pretty  young?  I  thought  they 
weren't  allowed  to  work  in  the  factory  till  - 

"  Francesca  got  a  permit,"  explained  Mrs. 
Dunn,  "  'count  of  her  pa  being  out  of  a 

job." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  Mr.  Dunn  hasn't  any 

work  at  all?  "  exclaimed  Peggy.    "  Do  you  have 


126    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to  live  on  what  those  two  children  earn?  " 
Mrs.  Dunn  plainly  expanded  under  the  sym- 
pathetic interest. 

"  This  is  gettin'  to  be  such  a  country  that  a 
man  can't  earn  an  honest  living,"  she  said. 
"  Mr.  Dunn's  an  awful  smart  man.  He  can 
turn  his  hand  to  most  anything,  but  these  Ey- 
talians  and  other  furren  folks  is  comin',  and 
takin'  away  all  the  jobs.  The  doctor  told  me 
last  week  that  I'd  ought  to  get  some  medicine 
to  make  my  complication  a  little  easier,  but 
I  haven't  had  a  cent  to  spare  for  it.  Seems  as 
if  it  took  all  Jimmy  and  Francesca  make  to 
keep  us  in  coal,  and  pay  the  rent."  She  looked 
thoughtfully  in  the  direction  of  Peggy's  pocket- 
book,  which  had  a  somewhat  plump  appear- 
ance owing  to  Peggy's  habit  of  cutting  recipes 
and  poems  out  of  the  newspaper  and  tucking 
them  away  in  her  pocketbook  to  show  the  other 
girls. 

What  embarrassing  turn  the  conversation 
might  have  taken  next  it  is  impossible  to  say 
for  it  was  interrupted  suddenly  by  the  entrance 
of  a  young  woman.  She  was  a  trim  and  busi- 
ness-like young  woman  who  betrayed  no  sur- 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         127 

prise  at  the  social  aspect  of  Mrs.  Dunn's  kitchen, 
and  who  declined  Peggy's  offer  of  a  chair,  with 
a  pleasant  little  smile. 

"  Can't  stay  long  enough  to  sit  down,"  she 
said  briskly.  "  I've  been  down  to  the  works, 
Mrs.  Dunn,  and  I  find  that  Mr.  Dunn  hasn't 
been  there  since  a  week  ago  Monday." 

Mrs.  Dunn  turned  so  darkly  red  that  Peggy 
wondered  if  the  mysterious  and  dread  disease 
"  complication  "  could  by  any  chance  be  allied 
to  apoplexy. 

"  The  work  down  there's  too  hard  for  him," 
she  said  sharply.  "  He  ain't  as  strong  as  he 
looks,  Mr.  Dunn  ain't.  And  the  foreman's 
always  picking  on  him." 

The  young  woman  shook  her  business-like 
head.  "  Come,  Mrs.  Dunn,"  she  said,  "  the 
worst  of  Mr.  Dunn's  troubles  is  laziness,  and 
the  reason  he  had  difficulty  with  the  foreman 
was  that  he  wouldn't  attend  to  business.  Now 
we  are  ready  to  help  you,  if  you  show  a  disposi- 
tion to  help  yourselves,  but  there  will  be  no 
more  relief  till  Mr.  Dunn  goes  back  to  work." 

Peggy  and  Priscilla  were  feeling  out  of  place. 
They  rose  murmuring  something  which  might 


128    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

have  been  an  apology  for  their  abrupt  depar- 
ture, or  a  promise  to  come  again.  Mrs.  Dunn 
paid  little  attention  to  their  going,  and  it  was 
the  red-haired  girl  who  ushered  them  to  the 
door. 

"  That's  the  charity  lady,"  she  explained, 
with  evident  satisfaction  in  her  superior  knowl- 
edge. "  She's  all  the  tune  comin'  to  the  Dunns. 
She  don't  never  come  to  our  home,  'less  some- 
body's sick  or  dies,  or  something  like  that.  My 
pa  he  sticks  to  his  job,  and  Mr.  Dunn  don't, 
that's  why." 

"  I  wonder  what  that  is,"  Peggy  cried,  losing 
interest  in  the  red-haired  girl's  explanation,  as 
she  caught  sight  of  something  resembling  a 
football  scrimmage  at  the  entrance  to  Glen 
Echo  Avenue. 

"  Guess  the  boys  are  havin'  a  little  fight  about 
something,"  said  the  red-haired  girl  carelessly, 
and  indeed  none  of  the  residents  of  the  avenue 
seemed  to  take  more  than  a  superficial  interest 
in  the  cluster  of  struggling  bodies,  from  which 
proceeded  outcries  of  the  most  blood-curdling 
nature.  Only  the  goat  which  the  girls  had  pre- 
viously noticed,  seemed  to  share  their  apprehen- 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         129 

sions,  for  it  cantered  past,  a  desperate  expres- 
sion in  its  oblique,  wicked  eyes,  indicating  a 
determination  to  put  as  much  distance  as  pos- 
sible between  itself  and  the  scene  of  the  dis- 
turbance. 

The  group  broke  up  as  Peggy  and  Priscilla 
drew  near,  and  proved  to  be  composed  of  a 
score  or  so  of  boys,  ranging  in  ages  from  six 
to  fifteen.  Some  were  grinning  and  some  looked 
angry.  And  one  was  crying.  The  last  was  the 
central  figure  of  the  group,  and  he  limped  as 
he  approached  the  sidewalk.  His  nose  was 
bleeding  so  profusely  as  to  make  his  appear- 
ance distinctly  ghastly,  and  Peggy  fumbled  for 
her  handkerchief.  Then  she  uttered  an  excla- 
mation. 

"  It's  Jimmy!    Priscilla,  it  is  Jimmy  Dunn!  " 

Jimmy's  tears  dissolved  in  a  smile  startlingly 
friendly.  "  I  got  it,"  he  exclaimed  and  held 
forth  a  wet,  dirty  and  uninviting  object,  whose 
proximity  caused  Priscilla  to  take  a  hasty  back- 
ward step.  "  What  is  it?  "  she  exclaimed  in 
horror. 

"  It's  a  kitten,  I  think,"  Peggy  replied  doubt- 
fully. "  Yes,  it  is  a  kitten."  Her  uncertainty 


130    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

was  less  singular  because  the  appearance  of  the 
poor  bedraggled  creature  was  so  little  suggest- 
ive of  the  kittens  Peggy  had  known.  Jimmy 
Dunn,  however,  regarded  his  prize  with  un- 
alloyed satisfaction.  "  They  was  going  to 
drown  it,  them  smart  kids,"  he  said  with  a 
gesture  that  included  all  his  late  antagonists. 
"  But  they  didn't.  I  got  it.  And  that  ain't 
all,  you  bet."  Jimmy's  voice  took  on  a  por- 
tentous hoarseness.  "  I  can't  lick  'em  all  to 
onct,  but  every  kid  in  that  bunch  is  going  to  get 
his,  and  don't  you  forgit  it." 

"  I'm  afraid  you're  hurt  yourself,  Jimmy," 
Peggy  said,  proffering  her  handkerchief.  Jimmy 
shook  his  head  and  fell  back  on  his  sleeve. 

"  But  you  were  crying,"  Priscilla  suggested 
with  less  than  Peggy's  tact. 

Jimmy  Dunn  looked  a  little  sheepish. 

"  I  mostly  bawl  when  I  get  mad,"  he  replied. 
"  Seems  as  if  I  couldn't  put  up  a  good  fight  till 
I  start  cryin'.  I'm  going  to  the  store  and  get 
a  cent's  worth  o'  milk  for  this  kitten.  Time  it's 
dry  and  cleaned  up,  and  had  some  milk  to 
drink,  you  wouldn't  know  it." 

Peggy  thought  it  was  very  likely.     It  was 


AT  HOME  WITH  THE  DUNNS         131 

impossible  to  imagine  how  any  kitten  dry, 
warm  and  fed,  could  bear  even  the  faintest 
resemblance  to  the  wet,  muddy  lump  of  fur 
in  Jimmy's  arms.  Thinking  it  advisable  that 
measures  of  resuscitation  should  begin  as 
promptly  as  possible,  the  two  girls  said  good- 
bye and  walked  on,  hearing  till  they  left  Glen 
Echo  Avenue  far  behind  the  shrill  tones  of 
Jimmy  Dunn's  voice  as  he  called  to  his  late 
opponents  promises  of  retribution  in  the  near 
future. 

"  Mrs.  Dunn  is  a  little  disappointing," 
Peggy  observed  at  last.  "  She  doesn't  seem 
quite  —  sincere."  That  was  as  severe  as  Peggy 
could  very  well  be  on  short  acquaintance. 
"  But  as  for  Jimmy,"  she  went  on  with  sudden 
enthusiasm,  "  that  boy's  got  lots  of  good  in 
him." 

And  in  both  particulars  Priscilla  agreed  with 
her. 


CHAPTER  IX 

PEGGY   ACTS   AS   CRITIC 

PEGGY'S  thoughts,  busy  with  plans  for  the 
relief  of  the  Dunn  family,  were  turned  abruptly 
into  another  channel  at  the  supper-table.  "  0, 
by  the  way,  Peggy,"  her  mother  said,  "  you 
had  a  caller  this  afternoon,  Mrs.  Summerneld 
Ely." 

"  She  came  in  a  naughty-mobeel,"  exclaimed 
Dorothy,  almost  choking  over  the  long  word 
in  her  eagerness  to  get  it  out  before  anybody 
else  had  a  chance. 

"  My!  Doesn't  she  think  she's  swell," 
scoffed  Dick.  "  Fur  coat  and  a  dress  that 
trails."  Of  all  manifestations  of  feminine 
vanity  a  trained  gown  called  forth  from  Dick 
the  most  outspoken  expressions  of  contempt. 

"  It  seems,"  explained  Mrs.  Raymond,  ig- 
noring her  son's  outburst,  "  that  she  was  at 
your  Bazar,  and  bought  a  collar,  Irish  lace,  I 
believe." 

"  0,  yes,  mother.    That  was  Elaine's  collar. 

132 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  133 

I  was  a  little  worried  for  fear  nobody  would  buy 
it,  but  not  because  it  wasn't  nice  enough.  I  was 
afraid  it  was  too  nice.  Lots  of  people  come  to 
our  Bazar  with  just  about  fifty  cents  to  spend, 
and  I  was  sure  the  price  of  the  collar  would 
look  dreadfully  big  to  nearly  everybody.  But 
we  really  couldn't  mark  it  less  than  it  was 
worth." 

"  Certainly  not,"  agreed  Mrs.  Raymond. 

"  And  then  Mrs.  Summerfield  Ely  came  in, 
and  I  was  sure  the  collar  was  as  good  as  sold, 
for  it  was  really  the  nicest  thing  there,  mother. 
Just  as  soon  as  I  could  get  the  chance  I  called 
her  attention  to  it,  and  she  looked  at  it  a  minute 
through  her  lorgnette  - 

"  O,  say,"  sneered  Dick,  "  why  doesn't  she 
wear  spectacles  if  she  needs  'em?  " 

"  And  she  said  right  off,  '  I'll  take  that,'  " 
continued  Peggy  tranquilly;  '"  I  was  so  glad, 
especially  on  Elaine's  account.  It  makes  you 
feel  horrid  to  put  lots  of  work  into  a  thing  and 
have  it  left  over." 

Having  relieved  her  mind,  Peggy  was  now 
ready  to  listen  to  other  people.  '  What  did 
Mrs.  Ely  want  of  me,  mother?  " 


134    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  She  wants  to  order  a  pair  of  cuffs  to  match 
the  collar.  She  wasn't  sure  who  did  the  work, 
but  she  thought  you  could  tell  her.  I  am  very 
glad,"  added  Mrs.  Raymond,  "  for,  of  course, 
she  will  pay  a  good  price,  and,  from  what  you 
tell  me,  I  fancy  that  Elaine  needs  the  money. 
Why,  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Peggy?  " 

The  impulsive  Peggy,  starting  up  from  her 
unfinished  supper,  flushed  guiltily  and  sat 
down  again.  "  I  was  going  to  run  over  and  tell 
Elaine,"  she  confessed.  "  But  I  suppose  the 
news  will  keep." 

As  it  turned  out,  it  was  not  till  the  next  after- 
noon that  Peggy  found  an  opportunity  to  con- 
vey to  her  next-door  neighbor  the  important 
information  of  Mrs.  Summerfield  Ely's  order. 
Callers  came  before  supper  was  over,  and  by 
the  tune  they  left  the  lights  in  the  next  house 
were  extinguished.  When  Peggy  presented 
herself  at  Elaine's  door  at  the  close  of  school  the 
following  day,  she  was  as  relieved  at  the  pros- 
pect of  delivering  her  news  as  if  it  had  been  a 
heavy  weight  which  she  had  been  carrying  about 
for  nearly  twenty-four  hours. 

Told  in  Peggy's  glowing  language  the  rather 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  135 

commonplace  announcement  took  on  life  and 
color.  Even  the  multiplication  table,  repeated 
with  such  animation,  and  such  assurance  of 
the  complete  sympathy  of  one's  listeners, 
would  have  seemed  touching  and  impressive. 
But  when  Peggy  had  finished,  she  was  aware 
of  a  sudden  drop  in  the  temperature.  Without 
meaning  to  do  it  she  intercepted  glances  pass- 
ing between  Elaine  and  her  mother,  which 
impressed  her  as  the  very  reverse  of  enthu- 
siastic. 

"  It's  very  kind  of  you,  Peggy,"  Elaine  said 
at  length,  her  manner  distinctly  apologetic. 
"  Awfully  kind  to  be  so  interested.  But  you 
see  —  '  She  hesitated,  and  again  the  thermom- 
eter seemed  to  drop  several  degrees.  "  But 
you  see  doing  work  like  that  for  pay  is  very 
different  from  doing  it  for  charity." 

"  O,  very  different,"  said  Mrs.  Marshall  hi 
her  deepest  voice. 

"  Of  course  it's  different,"  admitted  Peggy, 
frankly  bewildered.  "  But  it's  nice  to  earn 
money  for  yourself,  isn't  it?  " 

Again  the  perplexing  exchange  of  glances 
gave  her  a  feeling  of  being  a  hopeless  outsider. 


136    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  0,  the  money's  all  right,"  Elaine  admitted 
with  a  hard  little  laugh.  "  Nobody  could  want 
it  much  more  than  I  do.  But  to  earn  it  like 
a  sewing  woman  — 

"Fortunately,"  Mrs.  Marshall  broke  in, 
"  there  are  other  avenues.  My  daughter  has 
hopes  of  making  a  comfortable  income  hi 
a  manner  less  unsuited  to  her  position  in 
life." 

"  0,  indeed."  Peggy  looked  at  Elaine,  with 
the  respect  due  to  the  prospects  whose  magnifi- 
cence was  suggested  by  Mrs.  Marshall's  man- 
ner, rather  than  her  words.  To  her  surprise 
Elaine  was  blushing,  and  looking  very  uncom- 
fortable. "  0,  please,  mamma,"  she  murmured 
appealingly. 

"  Elaine's  literary  gift,"  continued  Mrs. 
Marshall  complacently,  "  has  been  most  pro- 
nounced since  her  childhood.  A  former  govern- 
ess, Miss  Brown  —  Elaine  always  called  her 
Brownie  —  was  most  enthusiastic  over  her 
early  attempts.  I  think,  my  dear,  that  she 
compared  some  of  your  first  efforts  to  the 
writings  of- 

"  Sometimes  I  wonder,"  broke  in  Elaine  with 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  137 

a  noticeable  increase  of  color,  "  if  Brownie 
didn't  say  all  those  flattering  things  just  be- 
cause she  thought  we  liked  to  hear  them." 

"  Upon  my  word,  Elaine,"  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Marshall  indignantly.  "  Such  suspicion  is 
very  unbecoming,  especially  in  a  young  girl. 
And  Miss  Brown  is  so  sincere,  so  unaffected, 
so  different  from  that  disagreeable  Miss  Collier 
who  was  always  criticizing  everything  and 
everybody.  Such  a  relief  as  it  was  to  get  that 
woman  out  of  the  house." 

"  She  didn't  think  me  much  of  a  genius,  that's 
certain."  Elaine  laughed  a  little,  apparently 
at  some  recollection  whose  humor  increased 
with  distance.  "  But  I'm  not  so  sure,"  she 
added  immediately,  "  that  she  didn't  mean 
every  word  of  it." 

"  Really,  Elaine!  "  Mrs.  Marshall's  irrita- 
tion showed  itself  by  a  sudden  flushing  of  her 
sallow  cheeks.  "  You  are  in  a  very  singular 
mood  to-day.  If  you  are  going  to  run  down 
poor  dear  Brownie,  and  uphold  that  dreadful 
Miss  Collier,  I  don't  know  but  my  turn  will 
come  next."  She  drew  out  her  handkerchief 
rather  ostentatiously,  and  then  the  awkward- 


138    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

ness  of  the  moment  was  relieved  by  the  arrival 
of  the  postman. 

Elaine,  hurrying  to  the  door,  returned  with 
full  hands  and  an  expression  of  countenance 
anything  but  enthusiastic.  '  What  a  lot  of 
mail! "  exclaimed  Peggy,  thankful  for  so  good 
an  opening  for  changing  the  subject. 

"  Yes,  there's  enough  of  it,  such  as  it  is," 
Elaine  responded  discontentedly.  She  slammed 
the  postman's  offering  down  on  the  table. 
"  Two  bills  —  no,  three,  and  the  others  - 

"  A  young  author  has  much  to  contend  with," 
said  Mrs.  Marshall,  forgetting  her  momentary 
pique  in  sympathy.  "  There  is  a  prejudice 
against  the  newcomer,  but  once  get  a  hearing 
and  it  is  all  plain  sailing." 

Peggy  eyed  the  long  envelopes  on  the  table 
with  sudden  understanding.  They  were  re- 
turned manuscripts.  Very  business-like  they 
looked  with  the  row  of  stamps  on  the  right- 
hand  corner,  and  even  sensible  Peggy  was 
thrilled  for  the  moment  by  something  vaguely 
impressive  in  the  thought  of  writing  for  pub- 
lication. 

"  I'm  sure  a  great  many  authors  had  a  dis- 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  139 

couraging  experience  to  begin  with,"  pursued 
Mrs.  Marshall.  "  Wasn't  it  Milton  who  sold 
'  Paradise  Lost '  for  a  mere  song,  and  I'm  sure 
'  David  Harum '  was  refused  by  any  number 
of  publishers."  She  looked  anxiously  at  Elaine, 
who,  having  opened  one  of  the  long  envelopes 
after  another,  was  reading  over  the  rejection 
slips,  her  forehead  creased  in  an  unmistakable 
frown. 

"  Let  me  see,"  Mrs.  Marshall  secured  a  slip, 
and  perused  it  carefully.  "  Why,  this  is  rather 
encouraging.  They  say  that  the  rejection  does 
not  imply  any  lack  of  merit." 

"  But  they  must  say  that  to  everybody," 
Elaine  insisted  gloomily.  "  It's  printed." 

"  Really,  Elaine,  if  you  are  determined  to 
take  a  pessimistic  view,  read  one  of  the  stories 
to  Peggy,"  cried  Mrs.  Marshall,  forgetting 
formality  for  once,  "  and  see  what  she  thinks." 
Peggy  echoed  the  suggestion  heartily.  She 
was  really  very  curious  about  the  contents  of 
those  long  envelopes. 

"  If  I  did,  it  would  be  to  find  out  what  you 
really  did  think  about  them,"  Elaine  replied. 
"  Most  people  would  say  nice  things,  anyway, 


140    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

but  I  believe  you'd  be  honest,  Peggy."  She 
looked  at  her  friend  rather  appealingly.  "  I 
don't  want  to  waste  my  time  on  what  isn't 
going  to  amount  to  anything." 

Peggy  felt  a  marked  decline  of  enthusiasm. 
"  Of  course  I'm  not  any  critic,"  she  said  uncom- 
fortably. "  I  can  tell  you  what  I  think,  but 
that  won't  be  worth  much." 

"  It's  what  I  want,  anyway."  Elaine  jerked 
a  bulky  manuscript  from  its  sheath  and  settled 
herself  in  a  rocking-chair.  "  The  name  of  this," 
she  announced  in  a  defiant  voice,  "  is  the  '  Maid 
of  the  Haunted  Well.'  It's  a  story  for  chil- 
dren, you  see." 

"  O,  yes."  Peggy  leaned  forward  in  an  atti- 
tude of  close  attention,  while  Elaine  began  to 
read  with  a  rapidity  which  gave  small  heed  to 
the  marks  of  punctuation. 

"  Long  ago,  on  the  edge  of  a  vast  and  mighty 
forest,  lived  a  young  girl,  known  far  and  near 
as  the  Maid  of  the  Haunted  Well.  Fair  she 
was,  with  lustrous,  golden  hair,  that  fell  in  a 
profusion  of  silky  ringlets.  Deep  blue  were 
her  eyes.  Far  and  wide  had  the  fame  of  her 
loveliness  spread,  and  many  came  to  see  for 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  141 

themselves  if  she  was  as  ravishingly  beautiful 
as  she  was  reported  to  be." 

"  How  wretchedly  you  are  reading,  Elaine," 
remonstrated  her  mother.  "  It  is  impossible 
to  get  any  idea  of  the  real  excellence  of  the 
story  when  you  hurry  that  way."  With  an 
evident  effort  Elaine  slackened  her  speed  and 
continued. 

"  The  Maid  of  the  Haunted  Well  had  hosts 
of  lovers,  but  to  one  and  all  she  gave  one  an- 
swer '  Wouldst  wed  me?  Then  drink  with  me 
one  cup  of  water  from  the  Haunted  Well.  Who- 
soever tastes  this  water  shall  never  — 

The  monotonous  voice  ceased  suddenly,  and 
the  sheets  comprising  the  "  Maid  of  the 
Haunted  Well  "  strewed  the  carpet  like  gigantic 
snow-flakes.  "  Elaine!  "  cried  Mrs.  Marshall. 

"  I  can't  go  on  with  it.  It  chokes  me.  Peggy, 
don't  you  think  it's  silly?  " 

Peggy's  struggle  between  her  candor  and  her 
sympathy  resulted  in  something  of  compromise. 
"  I  didn't  know  just  what  you  were  trying  to 
bring  out  about  the  haunted  well,"  she  replied. 
"  But  it  sounded  rather  ingenious,  and  inter- 
esting. At  the  same  tune  —  " 


142    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"Well?"  It  was  Mrs.  Marshall  who  in- 
sisted on  the  conclusion  of  the  sentence.  Elaine 
was  staring  gloomily  at  the  carpet. 

"  0,  I  only  wondered  if  nice  breezy  stories 
about  jolly  boys  and  girls  wouldn't  take  a  little 
better,  but,  of  course,  I  don't  know  anything 
about  it." 

"  They  are  not  all  children's  stories,"  said 
Mrs.  Marshall,  as  Elaine  preserved  an  uncom- 
promising silence.  "  Read  her  the  '  Daughter's 
Defiance,'  Elaine." 

For  a  moment  Peggy  feared  Elaine  was  going 
to  refuse.  She  looked  ruefully  at  the  dejected 
figure  in  the  rocking-chair,  wondering  if  her 
frankness  was  likely  to  cost  her  the  friendship 
she  had  worked  so  hard  to  win.  But,  after  a 
moment,  Elaine  reached  automatically  for  an- 
other envelope,  and  drew  out  a  second  manu- 
script. "  The  Daughter's  Defiance,"  she  read, 
"  Or,  True  in  Spite  of  All."  Peggy  tightened 
her  grip  on  the  arms  of  her  chair,  and  prepared 
herself  for  the  worst. 

"  '  Leave  me,  if  you  have  any  mercy,  I  pray 
you  leave  me  to  myself.'  The  Countess  Rosalie 
stood  trembling,  her  hands  flashing  with  jewels, 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  143 

clasped  in  appeal.  Beautiful  as  she  always 
was,  she  seemed  more  beautiful  than  ever,  now 
that  grief  had  left  her  cheeks  white  as  alabas- 
ter." 

There  was  a  ring  at  the  doorbell.  Peggy 
hurried  to  collect  the  scattered  sheets  of  the 
"  Maid  of  the  Haunted  Well,"  while  "  The 
Daughter's  Defiance  "  found  a  temporary  hi- 
ding-place behind  one  of  the  couch  cushions. 
Before  the  scramble  was  over  the  bell  had  rung 
for  the  second  time,  and  Elaine,  looking  self- 
conscious  almost  to  the  point  of  guilt,  went  to 
answer  it.  Peggy  heard  a  surprised  exclama- 
tion, then  a  small  voice  piping  resolutely. 

"  Want  my  aunt  Peggy." 

Even  Mrs.  Marshall  joined  in  the  laughter. 
"  0,  Dorothy,"  cried  Peggy  as  her  niece  ap- 
peared, wearing  an  expression  of  triumph. 
"  To  think  of  all  that  excitement  just  for  you." 
She  put  her  arms  about  the  little  figure  fondly. 
"  What  do  you  want,  honey?  " 

"  Want  to  stay  with  you." 

"  If  you  stay,  you  must  be  as  still  as  a  little 
mouse.  I'm  listening  to  a  story." 

"  I  likes  stories!  "     Dorothy  climbed  upon 


144    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Peggy's  knee  and  composed  herself  to  listen. 
But  long  before  the  harrowing  adventures  of 
the  Countess  Rosalie  had  reached  their  tragic 
culmination  she  had  grown  restless.  Slipping 
from  Peggy's  arms  she  started  on  a  tour  of  in- 
vestigation of  the  room  and  its  contents,  and, 
to  be  quite  honest,  Peggy  half  wished  she  might 
follow  her  example. 

But  the  Countess  Rosalie  was  finally  at  peace, 
and  Elaine  turned  a  flushed  face  on  her  unwill- 
ing critic.  "  Tell  me  just  what  you  think  of 
it,"  she  said. 

Peggy  drew  a  long  breath.  The  temptation 
to  be  comforting  and  complimentary  was  for 
the  instant  almost  irresistibly  strong.  She  for- 
tified herself  for  the  ordeal  by  recalling  the 
character  of  Elaine's  appeal.  It  was  not  right 
that  the  girl  should  waste  her  time,  if  a  friendly 
caution  could  save  her.  Nevertheless  Peggy 
heartily  wished  that  the  thankless  task  had 
fallen  to  somebody  else. 

"  Of  course  it's  any  amount  better  than  any- 
thing I  could  write,  Elaine.  I  think  your  im- 
agination is  really  wonderful.  But  —  " 

"  Go  on."     This    time    it  was  Elaine  who 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  145 

did  the  prompting.  Mrs.  Marshall  only  com- 
pressed her  lips. 

"  It  seemed  to  me  that  there  were  a  good 
many  things  in  your  story  that  girls  can't  be 
expected  to  know  much  about,  love  and  crime 
and  remorse  and  all  that  sort  of  thing.  And  all 
the  characters  are  counts  and  countesses  and 
-  Well,  I  never  saw  a  countess  — 

"  And  you're  wondering  if  I  ever  did.  Well, 
no." 

"  I  should  think,"  suggested  Peggy,  feeling 
the  beads  of  perspiration  start  on  her  forehead, 
"  that  it  would  be  better  to  write  about  the 
things  you  know.  That's  all." 

"  But  I  don't  know  anything  worth  writing 
about,"  said  Elaine  sharply.  Then  in  a  changed 
voice,  "  0,  I  see!  Probably  that's  just  the 
reason  I  oughtn't  to  try  it." 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  floundered  Peggy,  won- 
dering how  editors  ever  lived  through  the  or- 
deal of  rejecting  manuscripts,  "  that  after 
you've  lived  longer  — 

"  I  believe,"  interjected  Mrs.  Marshall  with- 
eringly,  "  that  Bryant  wrote  '  Thanatopsis ' 
at  eighteen." 


146    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  believe  he  did,"  Peggy  acknowledged 
meekly. 

"  But  this  isn't  '  Thanatopsis,'  "  said  Elaine, 
surveying  "  The  Daughter's  Defiance,"  with 
critical  eye,  "  and  I'm  not  Bryant.  That's  all 
Peggy  means."  She  smiled  with  a  courage  that 
did  not  conceal  a  quiver  of  pain,  and  Peggy 
looked  at  her  with  a  contrition  no  less 
keen  because  she  herself  felt  the  need  of  sym- 
pathy. 

Again  a  welcome  diversion  came  from  Doro- 
thy. In  her  search  for  entertainment  she  had 
discovered  a  basket  of  photographs,  placed 
upon  a  small  stand.  Engrossed  in  the  possi- 
bilities of  her  discovery  Dorothy  had  leaned 
against  the  basket's  frail  support,  with  the  re- 
sult that  the  stand  was  overturned  and  the 
pictures  strewn  far  and  wide.  For  the  second 
tune  during  her  call  Peggy  went  down  on  hands 
and  knees  to  gather  up  the  scattered  photo- 
graphs, having  satisfied  herself  by  the  agility 
with  which  Dorothy  scrambled  to  her  feet  that 
she  was  uninjured. 

"  0,  Elaine!  "  It  was  a  relief  to  start  a  topic 
of  conversation  which  bore  no  relation  to  liter- 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  147 

ary  pursuits.  "  Here's  a  picture  of  you,  I  never 
saw  before." 

Elaine  glanced  up  quickly.  "0,"  she  ex- 
claimed, "  I  didn't  know  that  was  downstairs." 

Peggy's  discovery  was  a  kodak  picture,  ap- 
parently a  group  of  picnickers,  gathered  on  the 
edge  of  a  small  lake.  When  she  had  removed 
all  traces  of  the  disorder  caused  by  Dorothy's 
mishap  she  carried  the  picture  to  the  window, 
for  a  closer  look. 

"  How  heavy  your  hair  used  to  be,  Elaine. 
You've  got  plenty  now,  but  it  was  lots  heavier 
then." 

No  reply. 

"  I  love  kodak  pictures,"  Peggy  went  on. 
"  This  is  an  awfully  cute  one,  but  really  you 
look  older  in  it  than  you  look  now.  I  suppose 
it  is  because  there's  no  retouching." 

Something  in  the  other's  silence  caused  her 
to  look  up.  Elaine's  face  was  crimson,  and  her 
manner  so  indicative  of  perturbation  that 
Peggy  was  on  the  point  of  demanding  the 
reason. 

Elaine  saved  her  from  that  blunder.  "  It's 
not  a  bit  good  picture,"  she  said  hastily.  "  I 


148    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

can't  bear  it.  I  never  mean  to  leave  it  where 
people  can  see  it."  She  took  the  offending  pho- 
tograph from  Peggy's  hand,  and  had  locked  it 
into  the  drawer  of  the  desk  before  Peggy  had 
recovered  from  her  amazement. 

On  the  whole,  the  afternoon  had  not  been 
very  successful.  Peggy  suggested  to  Dorothy 
that  it  was  time  to  go  home,  and  Dorothy 
pranced  with  uncomplimentary  readiness  to 
take  her  departure.  Elaine  followed  them  out 
into  the  hall,  half  closing  the  door  behind  them. 

"  Peggy,"  she  said  with  an  unmistakable 
effort,  "if  it  isn't  too  much  trouble,  I  wish 
you'd  tell  Mrs.  Ely  that  I'll  do  those  cuffs  for 
her." 

Peggy  turned  with  a  joyful  exclamation,  and 
caught  Elaine  in  her  arms.  "  You  dear  thing. 
I  think  that's  just  splendid  of  you."  Then, 
without  giving  her  courage  tune  to  cool,  she 
rushed  on,  "  And,  0,  Elaine,  you  don't  know 
how  I  hated  to  say  what  I  did.  You'll  forgive 
me,  won't  you?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  have  forgiven  you,  if  you'd 
said  what  you  didn't  believe,"  Elaine  returned, 
her  lips  trembling.  "  I  didn't  want  sugar- 


PEGGY  ACTS  AS  CRITIC  149 

plums,  Peggy.  I  wanted  the  truth.  I've  got 
to  do  something  to  earn  money,  and  if  I  haven't 
any  chance  one  way,  I've  got  to  try  another. 
And,  besides,"  she  added,  voicing  a  truth  which 
many  people  apparently  lose  sight  of,  "  it's  a 
lot  easier  always  to  say  something  pleasant 
than  to  say  what's  true." 

Peggy  went  home  in  a  glow.  She  was  proud 
of  the  stand  Elaine  had  taken,  and  grateful  to 
her  for  realizing  that  friendly  sincerity  may  be 
a  costly  gift.  "  And  she's  such  a  sensitive  girl, 
too,"  Peggy  thought.  "  She  was  really  annoyed 
because  I  didn't  quite  like  the  kodak  picture 
of  her." 

The  recollection  of  Elaine's  face  came  before 
her  as  the  thought  took  shape,  and  she  seemed  to 
see  in  its  expression  something  more  than  annoy- 
ance. Why  should  Elaine  have  cared?  Uncon- 
sciously Peggy  laid  the  matter  of  the  photograph 
away  in  some  secret  drawer  of  her  memory, 
along  with  several  other  little  perplexities,  to 
await  a  future  solution. 


CHAPTER  X 

RUTH   IS   PERPLEXED 

PEGGY  was  in  her  room,  combing  her  hair, 
when  Ruth  came  in.  At  the  sound  of  her  voice 
in  the  hall,  Peggy  pushed  the  door  ajar,  and 
hailed  her  cheerily. 

"  Hello,  there!  Come  on  upstairs.  I'm  try- 
ing to  do  my  hair  Anna's  way,  and  I'm  having 
such  a  time." 

She  had  turned  back  to  the  mirror,  and  was 
struggling  with  the  rebellious  locks  when  Ruth 
burst  into  the  room,  somewhat  out  of  breath 
after  her  hasty  ascent  of  the  stairs.  "  0, 
Peggy!"  she  panted.  "The  awfullest  thing!  " 

"  What's  happened?  "  Peggy  demanded 
briskly.  She  knew  Ruth  well  enough  to  be 
aware  that  the  "  awfullest  thing  "  might  mean 
that  her  father  was  bankrupt  or  that  she  had 
mislaid  her  thimble.  People  who  habitually 
indulge  in  superlatives  must  not  complain  over 
belated  sympathy. 

150 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  151 

"  Just  read  this."  Ruth  checked  herself 
suddenly.  "  It's  something,"  she  said  in  an 
altered  voice  "  that  it  would  be  better  for 
small  persons  not  to  overhear." 

Peggy  turned  hastily.  Dorothy  stood  in  the 
doorway,  her  resentful  gaze  fastened  upon 
Ruth.  Dorothy  was  extremely  sensitive  re- 
garding any  reference  to  her  tender  years,  and 
seldom  failed  to  grasp  the  import  of  a  carefully 
veiled  allusion  to  her  presence,  even  though  the 
words  used  were  beyond  her  understanding. 

"  There  aren't  any  small  persons  over  here," 
she  announced,  scowling  darkly  in  Ruth's  direc- 
tion. '  There's  nobody  here  but  free  big  girls." 

Peggy  discreetly  dropped  her  hair  over  her 
face  to  veil  a  smile. 

"  I  wonder  what  Taffy's  doing,"  she  said 
diplomatically.  "  I  hope  he  isn't  out  on  the 
front  lawn  where  he'll  get  into  a  quarrel  with 
the  butcher's  dog." 

Dorothy  looked  stubbornly  at  the  toes  of  her 
small  shoes,  and  Peggy  tried  another  tack. 

"  Let's  see!  I  wonder  if  I  left  any  caramels 
on  the  plate  in  the  pantry  last  night.  Yes,  I 
believe  there  were  two  or  three." 


152    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Maybe  Dick  ate  'em,"  suggested  Dorothy, 
falling  into  the  snare. 

"  He  hadn't  eaten  them  fifteen  minutes  ago 
when  I  came  upstairs.  On  the  plate  with  the 
blue  castle,  Dorothy,  dear,  and  Sally'll  hand  it 
down  to  you  if  you  can't  reach  it."  Peggy 
laughed  out,  as  Dorothy  clattered  down  the 
stairs.  "  Isn't  she  quick?/'  she  exclaimed  ad- 
miringly. '  That  child  knew  in  a  second  you 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  her."  She  shook  her  hair 
back  as  she  spoke,  and,  for  the  first  time,  caught 
sight  of  Ruth's  face. 

"Why,  Ruth!"  Peggy  took  an  impulsive 
step  forward.  "  Then  it's  really  —  " 

"  It's  something  really  dreadful,"  Ruth  re- 
turned, biting  the  lip  which  would  tremble,  hi 
spite  of  her  efforts.  She  turned  the  key  in  the 
lock  to  secure  the  conference  against  further 
interruptions,  and  held  a  letter  toward  Peggy. 
"  Read  that,"  she  said. 

The  sheet  Peggy  drew  from  the  square 
envelope  bore  a  showy  monogram  at 
the  top.  "  My  dear  boy,"  Peggy  read,  and 
then  looked  up  bewildered.  "  Why,  I  don't 


see  —  " 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  153 

"0,  go  on,"  Ruth  cried,  with  an  impatient 
stamp  of  her  foot.  "  Do  go  on."  And  Peggy 
obediently  read  the  communication  aloud. 

"  MY  DEAR  BOY:  —  The  charming  little  pend- 
ant came  last  evening,  and  I  thank  you  a  thou- 
sand times.  The  design  is  as  unique  and  charm- 
ing as  that  of  the  brooch  you  sent  last  week. 
I  noticed  that  you  purchased  both  at  King  and 
Kennedy's,  who  are  noted,  I  understand,  for 
exclusive  designs,  as  well  as  for  the  superior 
quality  of  their  goods. 

"  By  the  way,  I  noticed  a  darling  little  ring, 
a  combination  of  pearls  and  sapphires,  in  their 
window  the  other  day.  Ask  to  see  it  sometime 
when  you  are  passing.  They  are  most  obliging 
and  always  ready  to  show  their  stock  whether 
you  wish  to  purchase  or  not. 

"  Again,  with  many  thanks 

"Yours, 

"  MAUD." 

Peggy's  blank  stare  met  her  friend's  dis- 
turbed gaze.  "  I  don't  understand  it,"  she 
cried.  "  Who  wrote  it,  and  whom  is  it  written 


154    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to,  and  why  did  you  bring  it  to  me,  and  what 
makes  you  act  as  if  it  was  so  dreadful?  " 

"  Because  it  is  dreadful."  Ruth's  voice  was 
unnaturally  hard.  "  I  don't  know  who  wrote 
it,  except  that  her  name  is  Maud,  but  the  letter 
is  written  to  Graham." 

Peggy  glanced  quickly  at  the  envelope  in  her 
hand,  and  then  let  it  fall  to  the  floor,  as  if  it 
had  scorched  her  fingers.  "  0,  Ruth,"  she 
exclaimed  reproachfully,  "  why  did  you  tell  me 
to  read  it?  " 

"Peggy,  hush!  This  isn't  a  time  for  quibbling. 
You've  got  to  help  me  and  tell  me  what  to  do." 
The  tears  of  utter  misery  began  suddenly  to 
course  down  Ruth's  cheeks,  and  Peggy  hastily 
assumed  the  role  of  comforter. 

"  0,  Ruth!  You  mustn't  feel  that  way  about 
it.  Of  course  you  and  Graham  have  always 
been  great  chums,  but  you  must  have  known 
that  some  day  there' d  be  somebody  he'd  care 
for  more  than  for  you." 

"  Peggy  Raymond,  I  never  thought  you  could 
be  so  stupid."  Ruth's  voice  told  of  exaspera- 
tion. "  Listen!  This  letter  is  written  by  a 
girl  named  Maud,  and  Graham  never  mentioned 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  155 

such  a  person  to  any  of  us.  He  has  lots  of  girl 
friends,  like  all  college  boys,  and  their  pictures 
are  all  around  his  room,  and  I  know  the  names 
of  every  single  one.  But  he  never  has  said  a 
word  about  Maud." 

Peggy  shook  her  head  helplessly,  unable  to 
suggest  any  satisfactory  explanation  for  Gra- 
ham's singular  omission.  Ruth  continued, 
gradually  losing  her  self-control,  as  she  summed 
up  the  evidence  against  the  brother  she 
adored. 

"  That  would  be  queer,  Peggy,  and  it  would 
make  me  feel  dreadfully  hurt,  but,  of  course, 
Graham  isn't  obliged  to  tell  me  about  his 
friends  unless  he  chooses  to.  That  isn't  the 
worst  part.  You  see  he's  giving  her  presents, 
things  that  cost  a  lot.  It  was  a  pendant  this 
week,  and  a  brooch  last,  and  now  she's  hinting 
for  a  ring." 

"  Yes,  he  must  think  a  great  deal  of  her," 
Peggy  acknowledged  gravely. 

"  But  Graham  hasn't  any  money  of  his  own. 
Father's  doing  it  all,  and  the  worst  of  it  is, 
that  Graham's  expenses  are  so  heavy  this  year 
that  father  is  having  a  real  hard  time.  He  spoke 


156    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to  Graham  about  it  not  a  week  ago,  and  asked  him 
to  be  as  careful  as  he  could,  and  Graham  talked  so 
beautifully  about  it,  and  he  wanted  to  give  up  lots 
of  things,  and  father  said  no,  and  that  he'd  get 
hold  of  the  money  somehow.  And  after  all  that, 
Graham  has  bought  jewelry  for  this  Maud." 

Peggy  made  no  effort  to  check  her  friend's 
wild  outburst  of  weeping.  Under  the  circum- 
stances it  would  do  Ruth  good  to  cry.  She 
looked  with  a  sense  of  shrinking  disgust  at 
the  letter  on  the  floor,  as  if  it  had  been  some 
sort  of  loathsome  creature.  "  How  could  he?  " 
she  said  to  herself,  as  Graham's  frank,  handsome 
face  flashed  out  on  the  screen  of  her  memory. 
Only  that  morning  she  had  seen  Graham  and 
his  father  pass.  The  older  man  was  listening 
to  something  the  younger  was  saying,  smiling  a 
little,  and  the  look  he  bent  upon  his  son  was 
full  of  trust  and  confidence.  And  all  the  time 
Graham  had  been  deceiving  him,  taking  the 
money  which  meant  sacrifices  in  the  home,  to 
buy  costly  presents  for  a  girl  whose  name  he 
had  never  mentioned  to  his  sister.  It  was  no 
wonder  that  Ruth  cried.  Sunny  Peggy  felt 
sick  and  disillusioned. 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  157 

The  door-knob  rattled.  "It's  me!"  said  a 
voice,  which  sounded  very  much  as  if  the  three 
caramels  were  simultaneously  occupying  one 
small  mouth. 

"  Run  along,  Dorothy!"  Peggy  was  too 
absorbed  in  the  problem  confronting  her  to 
make  her  request  tactful.  She  went  over  to 
Ruth,  who  was  making  a  brave  struggle  to 
regain  her  self-control,  and  possessing  her- 
self of  the  limp  hand,  stroked  it  tenderly. 
Then  Peggy's  instinct  to  make  excuses  for 
everybody,  led  her  to  say,  "  After  all,  perhaps 
we're  making  a  mountain  out  of  a  mole-hill." 

"Mole-hill!"  exclaimed  Ruth  indignantly. 
"  How  you  can  call  it  a  mole-hill  for  Graham  to 
take  his  father's  money  and  pretend  it's  for 
things  at  college  when  all  the  time  — 

"0,  yes,  I  know.  But  there's  a  chance  of 
a  mistake,"  Peggy  protested,  "  I  don't  suppose 
you've  talked  with  Graham  about  it?  " 

"  Goodness,  no!  I  went  up  to  his  room  this 
morning  to  do  the  work  and  this  letter  lay  on 
the  floor,  not  even  in  the  envelope." 

''  That  doesn't  look  as  if  he  were  ashamed  of 
it,"  Peggy  exclaimed  triumphantly. 


158    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  0,  that's  Graham  all  over.  No  matter 
what  he  did,  he'd  be  too  careless  to  cover  his 
tracks.  I  picked  it  up  and  looked  at  it  to  see 
if  it  was  meant  to  be  thrown  away  or  not,  and 
then  my  eye  caught  that  about  the  pendant, 
and  I  simply  couldn't  stop.  And  after  I  saw 
what  it  meant  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  should 
die  if  I  didn't  tell  somebody." 

"But,  Ruth,"  Peggy  protested,  alarmed, 
"  you  surely  are  going  to  talk  to  Graham  about 
it.  You  can't  mean  to  let  it  go  on,  and  not  give 
him  a  chance  to  explain  or  anything." 

Poor  Ruth  hid  her  face  in  her  hands. 

"  0,  Peggy!  "  she  cried  in  a  stifled  voice, 
"  if  I  thought  he  could  explain,  I'd  be  only  too 
glad  to  give  him  the  chance.  But  you  know 
yourself  he  can't.  And  how  can  I  bear  to  tell 
him  that  I  know  all  about  it.  If  it  was  anything 
else,  I  wouldn't  feel  so,"  she  added  despairingly. 
"  But  think,  Peggy,  of  telling  your  brother  that 
you  know  he  has  been  cheating  your  father,  and 
being  mean  and  underhanded,  all  the  tune  that 
he  talked  so  beautifully  about  how  grateful  he  was 
for  what  had  been  done  for  him,  and  how  hard  he 
was  going  to  try  to  make  us  all  proud  of  him." 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  159 

It  was  a  black  picture.  "  Then,  I  suppose," 
said  Peggy,  after  a  long  pause,  "  that  you'll 
tell  your  father." 

"  Father!  "  Ruth  spoke  the  word  with  a  little 
protesting  cry.  "  Why,  it  would  kill  father  to 
know  such  a  thing  about  Graham.  He  never 
could  bear  it." 

Peggy  hesitated.  Strong  as  her  sympathy 
was  for  Ruth,  her  sturdy  common  sense  refused 
to  take  her  friend's  view  of  the  case. 

"  Ruth,  this  is  too  serious  a  thing  for  two 
girls  like  us  to  keep  to  ourselves.  Somebody's 
got  to  know,  somebody  who'll  understand  what 
to  do."  - 

Ruth  sprang  to  her  feet.     '  You  don't  mean 
that  you'll  tell.    Peggy,  you  couldn't  be  so- 
so  dishonorable  as  to  tell.    I  came  to  you  because 
I  had  to  confide  in  somebody.     And,  now,  if 
I  can't  trust  you  - 

"  0,  good  gracious!  "  exclaimed  Peggy  with 
an  irritation  of  which  she  was  immediately 
ashamed.  "  Of  course  I'm  not  going  to  tell. 
But  you  are.  Ruth,  you  must." 

Again  and  again  they  went  over  the  ground, 
Peggy  coaxing,  persuading,  trying  vainly  to 


160    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

bring  her  friend's  resolution  to  the  sticking 
point,  while  Ruth  squirmed  and  evaded  and 
protested,  and  even  accused  Peggy  of  heart- 
lessness. 

"  I  tell  you  it  would  kill  father.  He's  wrapped 
up  in  Graham.  If  he  found  out  that  he  had 
tricked  and  cheated  him  he'd  never  have 
another  happy  minute." 

'  Your  mother,  then." 

"  Mother!  Why,  that  would  be  worse,  if 
anything  could  be  worse.  Her  heart  isn't 
strong,  you  know.  The  doctor  says  we  must  be 
careful  about  shocks  — 

"  Then,  Ruth  Wylie,  there's  no  two  ways 
about  it.  You've  got  to  pluck  up  your  courage 
and  have  it  out  with  Graham." 

It  was  in  the  discussion  of  this  point  that 
Peggy  was  accused  of  heartlessness,  a  most 
unjust  charge,  for  at  the  moment  her  heart  was 
aching  for  poor  Ruth  in  her  misery. 

"You   don't   understand!"    Ruth   insisted. 

'  You    can't    understand.      Your    brother    is 

younger  than  you  are,  but  if  he  were  older,  and 

you'd  always  looked  up  to  him,  and  thought 

he  was  perfectly  splendid,  and  felt  sorry  for 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  161 

other  girls  with  ordinary  brothers,  just  think 
what  it  would  be  like  to  face  him  and  tell  him 
that  you'd  found  him  out,  and  that  he  was 
mean  and  contemptible.  0,  it  don't  seem  as  if 
I  could  be  talking  about  Graham.  0,  Peggy, 
why  did  I  ever  read  that  letter?  " 

Peggy  temporarily  gave  up  the  effort  to 
bring  Ruth  to  a  realizing  sense  of  her  responsi- 
bility in  the  matter,  and  set  herself  to  soothe 
her.  Between  indignation  on  her  father's  ac- 
count, and  grief  over  the  discovery  of  the  glar- 
ing weakness  in  the  brother,  whom  she  had  been 
accustomed  to  set  on  a  pedestal,  poor  Ruth's 
nerves  were  sadly  unstrung.  Peggy  coaxed 
her  to  lie  down  upon  the  bed,  and  stroked  her 
burning  forehead  with  sympathetic  fingers, 
cooing  over  her  like  a  dove  over  its  nestlings. 
All  that  was  sweet  and  womanly  in  Peggy 
responded  to  the  challenge  of  suffering,  and  her 
fingers  had  the  deft  tenderness  which  charac- 
terizes the  born  nurse,  and  is  not  always  secured 
by  a  course  of  training  in  the  hospitals. 

She  was  just  congratulating  herself  that 
Ruth's  tense  muscles  were  relaxing  somewhat, 
and  that  her  breathing  was  less  hurried  and 


162    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

irregular,  when  a  crash  in  the  hall,  followed  by 
staccato  screams,  sent  her  flying  to  the  door. 
Most  unexpectedly  she  found  her  exit  barred 
by  a  solid  oak  table  and,  when  she  pushed  that 
impatiently  aside,  she  stumbled  over  the  up- 
turned rockers  of  Dorothy's  little  red  chair. 
Dorothy  herself  was  somewhere  on  the  stairs, 
screaming  lustily,  while  Mrs.  Raymond  and 
Sally  were  bending  over  her,  imploring  her  to 
tell  them  where  she  was  hurt. 

"  What  is  it?  What  has  happened?  "  shrieked 
Peggy,  plunging  down  the  stairs,  forgetful  of 
everything  except  the  possibility  that  Dorothy 
was  seriously  injured. 

No  one  had  time  to  explain,  but  gradually 
from  scraps  of  information  let  fall,  aided  by 
her  own  intuition,  Peggy  reached  an  understand- 
ing of  the  catastrophe.  Dorothy,  aggrieved  by 
the  turning  of  the  key  in  the  lock,  had  pushed  a 
table  in  front  of  Peggy's  door,  and  placed  her 
own  small  rocking-chair  on  top,  intending  from 
this  vantage  ground  to  make  a  dramatic  entrance 
through  the  transom.  The  rocking-chair  had 
frustrated  this  maneuvre  by  swaying  at  the 
wrong  moment,  and  Dorothy  had  plunged  over 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  163 

the  banisters  while  the  chair  had  toppled  to 
the  floor  with  a  crash  worthy  a  more  imposing 
piece  of  furniture. 

"  Can  you  move  your  arms  and  legs,  dear? 
Let  Grandma  see  you  kick?  "  pleaded  Mrs. 
Raymond,  running  her  fingers  anxiously  over 
Dorothy's  plump  little  body  in  search  of 
broken  bones. 

"  It's  her  insides  that  are  hurt,  most  like. 
My  ma  had  a  cousin  who  got  his  insides  hurt 
in  a  fall,  and  for  seventeen  years  he  never  left 
his  bed."  Sally,  who  had  a  taste  for  the  ghastly, 
contributed  this  information,  and  would  have 
gone  on  to  give  the  harrowing  details  had  she 
not  perceived  that  no  one  was  paying  any  atten- 
tion to  her. 

Dorothy's  screams  were  gradually  subsiding 
into  gasping  sobs.  She  turned  her  pathetic, 
tear-stained  little  face  toward  Peggy,  who 
crouched  on  the  stairs  beside  her,  a  conscience- 
stricken  heap,  repeating  miserably,  "0,  Doro- 
thy, where  does  it  hurt,  darling?  " 

"I  —  I  swallowed  'em,"  Dorothy  volunteered 
at  last,  and  burst  into  fresh  lamentations. 

"  Swallowed  what,  dear?  " 


164    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  The  car'mels.  I  swallowed  'em  quick. 
I  didn't  have  time  to  eat  'em." 

Peggy  and  her  mother  exchanged  wide-eyed 
glances. 

"  Don't  mind  about  that,  dear,"  coaxed 
Peggy.  "  By  and  by,  when  you  feel  better, 
I'll  make  you  some  more  candy." 

Dorothy's  sobs  ceased  with  an  abruptness 
that  was  uncanny.  "  Feel  better  now,"  she  said. 

"  But  where  does  it  hurt,  Dorothy?  " 

"  Don't  hurt.  But  I  like  butter-scotch 
better'n  car'mels." 

'  You  shall  have  butter-scotch,  you  precious. 
But  where  -  Peggy's  solicitous  inquiries 
were  interrupted  by  Dorothy's  clapping  her 
hands  and  beginning  to  frisk  about  in  a  manner 
which  set  at  ease  conclusively  any  fear  as  to 
broken  bones. 

"It's  struck  into  her  brains  most  like,"  said 
Sally  hopefully.  "  I  knowed  an  idget  boy  onct. 
It  was  a  fall  striking  into  his  brains  that  ailed 
him." 

Mrs.  Raymond  and  Peggy  were  too  accus- 
tomed to  Sally's  doleful  prophecies  to  be  cast 
down.  They  heaved  sighs  of  relief,  exchanged 


RUTH  IS  PERPLEXED  165 

smiles,  and  Peggy  flew  to  her  room  to  get  her 
apron.  At  the  head  of  the  stairs  she  encountered 
Ruth,  a  red-eyed,  drooping  figure,  and  Peggy's 
conscience  reproached  her  that  in  her  own  alarm 
and  relief,  she  had  momentarily  forgotten  her 
friend's  greater  cause  for  anxiety. 

'  You  see,"  she  whispered,  pausing  for  a 
moment,  "  Sometimes  things  turn  out  better 
than  you  think  they  will.  I  was  almost  sure 
that  Dorothy  was  dreadfully  hurt,  you  know." 
But  Ruth  only  shook  her  head  and  made  the 
answer  characteristic  of  people  in  trouble,  who 
are  all  likely  to  think  their  own  especial  load, 
unlike  any  other  burden. 

"  But  this  is  different." 


CHAPTER  XI 

CHRISTMAS   PREPARATIONS 

PEGGY'S  door  was  locked  again,  but  this  time 
it  was  not  Ruth's  fault.  Peggy  would  have  said, 
if  (questioned,  that  she  had  "  troubles  of  her 
own,"  and  the  chances  are  that  it  would  not 
have  occurred  to  her  that  there  was  anything 
incongruous  in  the  selection  of  such  a  phrase  to 
describe  her  Christmas  preparations. 

The  little  bed-room,  usually  a  model  of 
exquisite  neatness,  in  spite  of  its  simplicity, 
now  suggested  a  compromise  between  a  church 
fair  and  a  rummage  sale.  Articles  in  various 
stages  of  completion  were  draped  over  the 
furniture,  or  hung  on  door-knobs.  The  bed  was 
piled  so  deep  that  often  when  bed-time  ap- 
proached, Peggy  was  tempted  to  take  to  her 
easy-chair  for  the  night,  for  what  of  the  night 
was  left,  that  is  to  say,  for  Peggy  was  infringing 
sadly  on  those  hours  warranted  to  make  one 
healthy  and  wealthy  and  wise,  if  properly 

166 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          167 

observed.  Mrs.  Raymond  was  uneasy  when 
she  saw  the  gleam  of  light  through  the  transom 
long  after  midnight,  but  Peggy  met  all  remon- 
strances with  the  plead,  "  O,  please  don't  say 
anything,  mother,  till  Christmas  is  over.  You 
know  I've  got  to  finish." 

When  Dorothy  rattled  the  door-knob  this 
particular  afternoon,  Peggy's  start  was  sugges- 
tive of  over-strained  nerves.  Her  voice  was 
unnaturally  sharp  as  she  demanded,  "who's 
there?  " 

"Me." 

'  You  know  you  can't  come  in,  Dorothy. 
Run  away  and  play." 

The  knob  rattled  again.  It  was  not  an  ag- 
gressively loud  sound,  but  Peggy  was  just  tired 
enough  to  find  it  unendurable.  Her  lips  tight- 
ened. 

"  Dorothy,  will  you  stop  that  noise?  This 
minute!  " 

Surprise  kept  Dorothy  motionless  for  almost 
thirty  seconds.  "  What  you  doing?  "  she  asked, 
after  that  amazing  pause,  her  rosy  lips  close  to 
the  key-hole,  her  voice  persuasive. 

"I'm    making    something    you    can't    see. 


168    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Please  don't  bother."  Peggy  jerked  her  thread 
savagely.  She  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  hem- 
stitching the  little  petticoat  of  the  doll  she  was 
dressing  for  Dorothy.  She  had  laughed  when 
her  mother  suggested  that  it  was  hardly  worth 
while  to  take  so  much  pains.  "  A  strip  of  em- 
broidery gathered  and  put  in  a  band  would 
please  the  child  just  as  well.  She  isn't  old 
enough  to  appreciate  the  work  you  are  putting 
into  these  dainty  little  garments." 

"  Work!  I  don't  call  it  work.  It's  just  fun," 
said  Peggy  blithely.  "  And  it's  such  a  tiny 
way  round  a  doll's  petticoat,  mother,  that 
it  won't  take  any  time  to  speak  of."  There 
would  have  been  time  enough  if  there  had  not 
been  so  many  things  of  the  same  kind;  trifles 
demanding  little  tune  when  taken  separately, 
but  together  filling  to  overflowing  Peggy's 
hours  of  leisure,  and  infringing  on  the  time 
she  needed  for  recreation  and  sleep.  She 
thought  of  them  with  a  sense  of  nervous  appre- 
hension which  was  far  removed  from  anything 
festive.  There  were  two  of  the  sweet  peas 
on  her  mother's  centrepiece  not  finished  yet, 
and  those  sweet  peas  took  so  long. 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          169 

'  I  must  finish  Aunt  Rachel's  bureau  scarf 
to-night,"  Peggy  thought.  "  I've  got  to  allow 
for  the  mails  being  slow.  Perhaps  I'd  better 
leave  this  till  that  is  done,  for  I  can  finish  the 
doll  the  very  last  thing."  She  tucked  the 
petticoat  out  of  sight,  and  produced  the  bureau 
scarf  from  under  a  rainbow  litter  of  Dresden 
ribbon,  scraps  of  silk,  and  odds  and  ends  of 
lace,  all  of  which  Peggy  designed  for  especial  use. 

"  Next  year,"  thought  Peggy,  frantically 
attacking  the  bureau  scarf,  "I'm  going  to 
begin  my  Christmas  presents  New  Year's 
afternoon.  Perhaps  if  I  start  the  first  of 
January  and  keep  right  at  it  through  the  year 
-  Why,  what's  that?  " 

There  was  a  sound  in  the  hall,  a  choked,  low, 
pitiful  sound  that  seemed  startlingly  out  of 
place  with  Christmas  near.  The  bureau  scarf 
dropped  to  the  floor.  The  spool  of  thread  and 
the  thimble  made  a  bee-line  to  hide  themselves 
under  the  dresser,  as  if  they  both  had  enough 
of  getting  ready  for  Christmas.  Peggy  herself 
lost  no  time  in  turning  the  key  and  bolting  into 
the  hall,  where  Dorothy  a  pensive  little  heap, 
her  face  hidden  on  her  knees,  was  weeping. 


170    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Dorothy  had  a  variety  of  ways  of  crying. 
When  angry  her  tears  were  accompanied  by 
shrill  squeals,  as  pathetic  as  a  fife  playing 
Yankee  Doodle.  If  she  hurt  herself  she  was 
more  likely  to  relieve  her  feelings  by  noise  than 
by  tears,  suggesting  those  summer  showers 
whose  thunder  peals  and  lightning  flashes 
prepare  us  for  a  deluge,  but  which  content 
themselves,  after  all,  with  a  few  scattering  drops. 
These  emotional  outbreaks  on  Dorothy's  part 
Peggy  took  philosophically.  But  when  she 
cried  softly,  hiding  the  face  down  which  the 
big  tears  were  coursing,  while  the  sobs  shook 
her  little  body,  then  indeed,  it  was  another 
matter. 

"  Dorothy! "  Peggy  cried,  dropping  down 
on  her  knees  beside  the  despondent  figure. 
"  Dorothy,  what  is  the  matter?  What  are  you 
crying  about?  " 

"  Aunt  Peggy."  It  was  a  full  minute  before 
Dorothy  could  answer,  and  then  the  quiver 
running  through  the  words  pierced  Peggy's 
heart.  "Ain't  Christmas  going  to  be  over 
pretty  quick?  " 

"  It  comes  next  week,  honey." 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          171 

"  Well,  I'll  be  glad  when  it's  gone."  A  great 
sob  emphasized  the  statement.  "  It's  such  a 
horrid  time." 

"  Dorothy!  "  Peggy  was  aghast.  "  You  can't 
mean  that  you  don't  like  Christmas." 

"  It's  a  horrid  tune,"  Dorothy  repeated,  with 
every  indication  of  sincerity.  "  Folks  lock 
doors.  And  then  they  tell  you  to  go  and  play, 
and  there  ain't  anyfing  to  play.  And  there's 
nice  fings,  but  you  can't  see  'em."  She  sobbed 
again  as  she  painted  the  black  picture,  and 
Peggy  hastened  to  explain,  "  But,  darling,  you 
will  see  them  on  Christmas  day.  Think  what 
a  good  time  you  will  have  when  you  find  out 
all  the  secrets." 

"  But  I  want  a  good  tune  now,"  said  Dorothy 
explosively. 

For  once  Peggy  had  no  reply  ready.  What 
was  there  to  be  said?  Of  course  Dorothy  did. 
Who  could  reasonably  expect  this  little  human 
thistle-down  to  fold  her  hands  and  wait  patiently 
through  weeks  of  Christmas  preparations  in 
which  she  had  no  share.  Peggy,  absorbed  in 
her  plans,  had  found  no  time  for  the  stories 
Dorothy  loved,  for  the  little  after-supper 


172    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

frolics,  for  candy  pulls  in  the  kitchen,  for  walks 
over  the  snow.  All  these  joys  had  been  discon- 
tinued with  a  vague  promise  of  something  very 
nice  to  happen  by  and  by.  What  wonder 
Dorothy  was  dissatisfied? 

"  And  getting  ready  for  Christmas  is  almost 
the  nicest  part,"  Peggy  thought.  "  And  here 
I've  locked  my  door  and  shut  her  out  of  it. 
It's  no  wonder  she  thinks  Christmas  is  horrid." 
She  lowered  her  voice  mysteriously.  "  Dorothy, 
how  would  you  like  to  help  me  make  a  Jack 
Horner  pie?  " 

The  hands  which  covered  Dorothy's  eyes 
dropped  to  her  knees.  The  little  face  revealed 
was  more  suggestive  of  April  than  of  December, 
with  the  wet  eyes  shining,  and  the  dimples 
swallowing  up  stray  tear  drops.  "  A  Jack 
Horner  pie?  "  repeated  Dorothy  in  a  thrilled 
whisper. 

"Yes." 

"  Will  we  put  in  a  fum  and  pull  out  a  plum?  " 

''  They'll  be  funny  plums.  Come  and  I'll 
show  you.  But  we'll  lock  the  door,  because 
this  is  our  secret  and  nobody  must  know." 

Under  the  bed  was  a  shiny  tin  milk  pan,  and 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          173 

rolls  of  tissue  paper,  green  and  red.  "  Now 
I'm  going  to  cover  this  pan  with  green  paper," 
Peggy  explained.  "  And  there'll  be  a  paste- 
board cover,  with  a  big  round  hole  in  the 
middle,  and  there's  where  we  will  put  in  our 
thumbs." 

"And  cry  what  a  big  boy'm  I,"  added 
Dorothy,  hopping  on  one  foot,  which  with  her 
was  an  indication  of  fascinated  interest. 

"  The  cover'll  be  all  fixed  with  red  tissue 
paper,  and,  instead  of  plums,  there'll  be  little 
presents  inside." 

"Is  it  going  on  the  Christmas  tree,  Aunt 
Peggy?  "  Dorothy  squatted  beside  her  aunt, 
carried  away  by  the  enchantment  of  the  plan. 
And  as  Peggy  looked  at  the  beaming  little  face 
the  isolation  of  her  previous  preparations 
suddenly  seemed  selfish. 

"No,  this  isn't  for  the  tree.  It's  going  on 
the  table  for  the  Christmas  dinner.  The 
presents  aren't  nice  ones,  you  know.  They're 
funny  little  jokes.  Here's  Dick's  present,  a 
queer  little  make-believe  alarm-clock,  because 
he  is  so  slow  about  getting  up  in  the  morning." 

"  Dick's  a  lazy  boy  to  be  my  uncle,"  said 


174    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Dorothy,  giggling  rapturously.  "  I  guess  he'll 
be  'shamed  when  he  pulls  out  his  plum." 

11  There's  a  rhyme  to  go  with  it,  Dorothy. 
That's  part  of  the  fun.  Do  you  want  to  hear  it?  " 

Dorothy  promptly  became  a  statuette  of 
attention,  her  hands  folded,  and  her  grave  face 
flatteringly  expectant,  while  Peggy  read  aloud. 

"  Dick,  Dick,  the  sleepy-head, 
Dearly  loves  his  little  bed. 

Here's  a  cure;  'twill  work  for  sure, 

Wind  it  tight.    Set  it  right, 
And  then  go  ahead  and 

Blow  out  the  light. 

When  morning  comes,  how  the  folks  will  stare, 
To  go  to  breakfast  and  find  Dick  there." 

"  That's  poetry,"  said  Dorothy  much  im- 
pressed. "  I  learned  poetry  once,  all  about 
Tit,  Tiny  and  Tittens.  Did  you  write  a  poetry 
plum  for  me,  too,  Aunt  Peggy?  " 

'  Yes,  but  I  mustn't  read  you  yours.  That's 
a  surprise,  but  you  can  hear  grandpa's.  You 
see,  I'm  going  to  give  him  a  pen  because  he 
hates  to  have  anybody  else  use  his  pens,  and 
Dick's  always  doing  it."  Peggy  cleared  her 
throat.  ''  This  is  grandpa's  poem. 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          175 

"  Now,  here's  a  pen  for  the  best  of  men, 

And  I  wish  it  were  purest  gold. 
It  could  not  write,  in  a  whole  long  night, 

Half  the  love  my  heart  does  hold. 
Not  for  Dick's  abuse,  but  for  father's  use, 

Is  the  pen  I  here  present. 
May  it  long  keep  bright  and  continue  to  write, 

As  well  as  the  maker  meant." 

"  I'm  going  to  write  some  poetry,  too,  for  my 
Christmas  presents,"  said  Dorothy,  fired  to 
emulation.  "  I'm  going  to  say, 

"  This  is  for  Aunt  Peggy 
Because  she's  eggy." 

"  But  I  wouldn't  be  eggy,  I  hope,"  exclaimed 
Peggy,  laughing  with  an  abandon  rare  in  the 
last  ten  days.  "  So  your  poetry  wouldn't 
fit." 

Dorothy's  face  fell.  "Oh!"  she  exclaimed, 
with  perhaps  a  glimmering  appreciation  of  the 
truth  that  art  is  long.  "Oh!  I  didn't  know 
that  poetry  had  to  be  true."  She  gave  up  her 
ambition  for  the  time  being.  "  What's  grand- 
ma's poetry,  Aunt  Peggy?  " 

Peggy  unfolded  the  slip  of  paper  willingly. 
She  was  proud  of  that  attempt. 


176    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  We  could  have  a  jolly  Christmas  though  old  Santa  Glaus 
should  go. 

We  could  do  without  a  turkey  at  a  pinch. 
And  to  spare  the  cheerful  holly  and  the  festive  mistletoe 

Would  be  rather  in  the  nature  of  a  cinch. 
There  is  only  one  thing  needed,  as  you'll  readily  agree, 

One  essential  that  surpasses  every  other, 
For  of  all  absurd  endeavors,  the  most  imbecile  would  be, 

Just  to  try  to  have  Christmas  without  mother." 

"  I'm  going  to  have  a  Christmas  'thout  my 
mover,"  Dorothy  remarked  unexpectedly,  and 
Peggy  read  on  rapidly  to  avoid  arguing  the 
point. 

"  Though  the  chimney  corner  stockings  should  be  limp  on 

Christmas  day, 

Though  the  postman  on  his  rounds  should  fail  to  ring. 
Though  of  all  our  friends  and  neighbors  there  was  not  a 

one  to  say, 

'  Merry  Christmas,'  or  some  other  proper  thing. 
Still  I  think  we  could  be  happy,  meet  the  day  with  faces 

bright, 

Drawing  just  a  little  closer  to  each  other. 
But  there  isn't  one  among  us  who  could  keep  his  spirits 

light, 
If  we  had  to  spend  a  Christmas  without  mother." 

Dorothy  had  heard  poetry  enough  by  now. 
She  moved  about  the  room,  keeping  her  plump 
hands  tightly  folded,  in  her  effort  to  comply 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          177 

with  Peggy's  caution  not  to  touch.  And  Peggy, 
working  busily  at  the  construction  of  the  Jack 
Horner  pie,  found  Dorothy's  presence  no  draw- 
back to  her  progress.  As  a  matter  of  fact  there 
is  such  a  thing  as  hurrying  till  one  is  unable 
to  accomplish  anything.  The  distraction  of 
Peggy's  thoughts  by  the  artless  questions  and 
the  refreshingly  original  observations  of  her 
small  niece  was  helpful  rather  than  hindering. 
Her  tense  nerves  relaxed.  She  laughed  out 
half  a  dozen  times,  as  if  Christmas  preparations 
were  a  joyful  matter  instead  of  soul-straining, 
nerve-racking  ordeal,  through  which  one  must 
pass  in  order  to  be  worthy  of  the  pleasures 
beyond. 

The  Jack  Horner  pie  was  finished  and  tucked 
out  of  sight  when  someone  ran  up  the  stairs. 
"  Peggy!  "  said  a  breathless  voice,  outside  the 
door.  " Peggy!" 

"0  Ruth!"  Peggy  sprang  up  with  hospit- 
able intent,  but  Dorothy  frowned.  "  We're 
pretty  busy,"  she  said  warningly,  and  in  tones 
distinctly  audible  in  the  hall. 

Peggy  threw  the  door  ajar,  disclosing  her 
friend's  flushed  face  and  heaving  chest.  ''  You 


178    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

should  put  on  a  coat,  instead  of  running  to 
keep  warm,"  scolded  Peggy. 

"  I'm  warm  enough."  Ruth  made  an  impa- 
tient gesture.  "  Peggy,  there's  another." 

"  What,  you  don't  mean  —  " 

"  Sh! "  Ruth  drew  Peggy  out  into  the  hall. 
'  Yes,"  she  replied,  nodding  mysteriously.  "  It's 
another  letter  from  Maud." 

Peggy  regarded  the  square  envelope  her  friend 
held  toward  her,  and  frowned  as  she  drew  back. 
"  I  don't  want  it.  I  shouldn't  have  read  the 
other  it  I'd  understood." 

"  Peggy,  it's  the  strangest  thing  I  ever  heard 
of.  It's  just  like  the  first." 

"  Just  like  the  first?  I  suppose  you  mean  - 

"  I  mean  it's  word  for  word  like  the  other  one. 
Do  you  suppose  she  could  have  forgotten  that 
she  had  written  him  and  thanked  him  over 
again?  " 

"  If  that's  the  case  she  must  be  a  very  stupid 
person,"  Peggy  pronounced  judicially.  Then 
curiosity  prompted  her  to  ask,  "  Did  Graham 
leave  that  lying  around  too?  " 

Ruth  flushed  hotly.  "  No-o!  I  took  the 
mail  from  the  postman,  and  I  recognized  the 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          179 

monogram.  The  writing  didn't  look  natural. 
She  must  have  used  a  different  pen." 

Peggy  refused  to  be  diverted  by  the  peculiari- 
ties of  Maud's  penmanship.  "  Ruth  Wylie!  " 
she  demanded  indignantly.  "  Do  you  mean  to 
tell  me  that  you  opened  your  brother's  let- 
ter? " 

Ruth  squirmed.  "  Peggy,  I  just  had  to 
know  what  she  said." 

"  If  you  wanted  to  know  what  she  said  you 
should  have  gone  to  Graham  and  asked  him. 
I  don't  think  anything  very  good  ever  comes 
from  doing  things  in  an  underhanded  way." 

"  Don't  be  cross,  Peggy,"  pleaded  Ruth. 
"  I  never  was  so  puzzled  and  troubled  in  all 
my  life.  And  I  want  you  to  advise  me." 

"  I  am  advising  you.  Go  to  Graham  about  it. 
Or  else  tell  your  father.  That's  the  only  advice 
I  can  give  you,  and  the  best  you're  likely  to 
get  from  anybody." 

"I  can't  do  that,"  Ruth  returned  despair- 
ingly. Resentfully  she  studied  the  address  on 
the  letter  she  held.  "  Christmas  is  just  spoiled 
for  me,  Peggy.  I  can't  think  of  anything  but 
Maud,  and  the  way  Graham  is  wasting  his 


180    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

money,  and  how  deceitful  he  is,  and  how  poor 
father  would  feel  if  he  knew."  She  swallowed 
down  a  sob,  and  almost  remorsefully,  Peggy 
threw  her  arms  about  her  and  hugged  her. 

'  You  poor  dear  thing.  I  only  wish  I  could 
help  you.  But,  honestly,  Ruth,  there  is  only 
one  way  out,  and  that's  to  be  frank  and  above 
board.  Even  if  Graham  has  done  wrong,  silly 
things,  it's  no  sign  that  he  can't  be  brought  to 
reason.  I'd  talk  to  him  in  a  minute,  if  he  were 
my  brother." 

Unwelcome  advice  seldom  seems  good  advice 
to  the  recipient.  Ruth  went  away  dejected, 
with  the  purloined  letter  in  her  pocket,  but 
Peggy's  remonstrances  had  at  least  one  good 
effect.  Ruth  resolved  that  in  the  future  she 
would  read  no  more  of  her  brother's  letters 
without  his  permission.  Peggy,  standing  in  the 
hall,  her  forehead  knotted  over  her  friend's 
problem,  felt  a  little  twinge  of  shame  as  she 
recalled  her  varying  moods  of  dejection  and 
irritation  during  the  past  week.  The  finishing 
of  a  specuied  number  of  gifts  at  a  specified 
time  seemed  a  trifling  cause  for  disquiet,  com- 
pared with  the  burden  poor  Ruth  was  carrying. 

9 


CHRISTMAS  PREPARATIONS          181 

"  Aunt  Peggy!  "  A  timid  voice  spoke  from 
the  doorway.  "  See  what  I've  found." 

Peggy  whirled  about.  Dorothy  stood  on  the 
threshold,  the  doll's  petticoat  slipped  over  her 
arm.  She  was  studying  it  speculatively. 

"  It  looks  some  like  a  sleeve,  Aunt  Peggy. 
A  sleeve  to  a  little  girl's  dress." 

Peggy  stifled  the  irritable  exclamation  which 
rose  to  her  lips  with  such  unwonted  readiness, 
pulled  the  petticoat  from  Dorothy's  arm  and 
set  it  upon  her  curls.  "  It  looks  to  me  now  like 
a  cap,"  she  said  cheerily.  "  A  real  little  dunce 
cap.  Look  in  the  glass  and  see." 

Dorothy  gazed  at  her  reflection  in  the  mirror, 
and  agreed  rapturously.  "  It  looks  'zactly  like 
a  dunce  cap,  Aunt  Peggy,  and  then  I'd  be  the 
little  dunce,  wouldn't  I?  Or  might  it  be  - 
she  made  the  suggestion  diffidently.  "  It 
might  be  a  little  teenty  petticoat,  but  I  guess 
it  isn't  'cause  then  there'd  have  to  be  a  dolly 
to  go  with  it.  And,  anyway,  I'm  not  going 
to  pry,  'cause  Christmas  is  coming." 

Peggy  laughed.  After  all  it  was  better  to 
have  Dorothy  suspect,  than  to  have  her  weeping 
as  if  her  heart  were  broken  and  wanting  Christ- 


182    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

mas  over.  She  sat  down  to  her  bureau  scarf 
with  less  of  the  air  of  a  sweat-shop  worker, 
than  had  characterized  her  earlier  hi  the  day, 
and  as  her  needle  flew,  and  she  abstractedly 
answered  Dorothy's  comments,  her  thoughts 
hovered  about  Ruth,  poor  Ruth,  whose  Christ- 
mas was  spoiled  through  no  fault  of  her  own, 
whose  joy  was  poisoned  by  the  bitterest  of  all 
disillusions,  disappointment  in  one  she  had  loved 
and  trusted. 


CHAPTER  XII 

DOROTHY   GOES   SHOPPING 

"  DOROTHY,  if  you  don't  keep  still,  how  am  I 
ever  going  to  get  your  legging  on?  " 

Peggy's  protest  paralyzed  Dorothy's  dancing 
feet  for  exactly  fifteen  seconds  by  the  clock. 
It  was  an  occasion  for  dancing  and  hand- 
clapping  and  little  gurgles  of  laughter.  Dorothy 
was  going  down  town  to  do  her  Christmas 
shopping,  and  the  friskiest  of  Santa  Claus' 
reindeers  could  not  have  outdone  her  in  capers. 

"  I  guess  I'll  buy  grandma  some  'fumery," 
she  announced,  as  her  youthful  aunt,  flushed 
a  becoming  pink  by  the  violence  of  her  exer- 
tions, struggled  with  the  refractory  leggings. 
"  And  I'll  buy  grandpa  a  naughty-mobeel, 
and  Dick  a  candy  cane."  There  was  no  purpose 
of  partiality  in  Dorothy's  apportionment  of  her 
gifts.  She  adored  her  grandparents  equally, 
and  really  preferred  Dick  to  any  other  member 

of  the  family,  since  he  was  the  only  one  of  the 
183 


184    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

number  who  could  turn  somersaults,  an  accom- 
plishment Dorothy  esteemed  above  all  others. 
But  if  an  automobile  was  desirable,  so  was  a 
candy  cane.  Dorothy  had  not  reached  the  point 
of  estimating  a  gift  by  its  money  value. 

'  Your  present  is  all  buyed,  Aunt  Peggy. 
Grandma  did  it,  but  it's  a  secret.  Want  me  to 
tell  you?  " 

"  O,  no!  "  Peggy  left  off  buttoning  Dorothy's 
coat,  and  clapped  her  hands  over  her  ears. 
'*  You  mustn't  tell  secrets,"  she  explained  hur- 
riedly. "  They're  to  be  kept  till  Christmas." 

"  But  I  don't  like  secrets  to  keep,"  protested 
Dorothy,  unconsciously  voicing  the  sentiments 
of  some  older  people.  "  I  like  'em  to  tell. 
Aunt  Peggy  your  present's  white  with  pink 
edges,  and  —  " 

The  entrance  of  Mrs.  Raymond,  with  six  shi- 
ning new  pennies  to  add  to  Dorothy's  Christmas 
funds,  diverted  her  thoughts  from  the  dangerous 
topic.  If  each  of  the  glittering  coppers  had 
been  a  gold  piece  they  could  not  have  been 
received  with  greater  rapture.  Dorothy  gal- 
loped about  the  room,  planning  Christmas 
benefactions  with  the  reckless  liberality  of  a 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  185 

millionaire,  and  Peggy  was  so  encouraged  by 
this  rapid  development  of  generosity  as  to 
suggest,  "  And  you're  going  to  buy  something 
for  the  poor  children,  aren't  you,  Dorothy,  the 
children  who  don't  have  any  Christmas?  " 

Dorothy  reflected.    Suddenly  her  little  face 
blossomed  into  a  pensive  sweetness  beautiful  to 


see. 

n 


I  know,  Aunt  Peggy,"  she  exclaimed,  with 
the  triumph  of  one  who  has  found  a  happy 
solution  to  a  puzzling  problem.  "  I  know. 
The  poor  children  can  have  the  outside  of  my 
nuts." 

"The  outside!  Why,  she  means  the  shells, 
mother.  I  don't  see  how  you  can  laugh." 
Peggy  looked  reproachfully  at  her  mother  who 
had  suddenly  become  interested  in  the  view 
from  the  window.  "  Think  how  terrible  it 
would  be  if  she  should  grow  up  selfish." 

"  She  has  time  to  outgrow  lots  of  things, 
dear,  while  she's  growing  up,"  said  Mrs. 
Raymond  comfortingly,  and  turned  to  kiss  the 
rosy  mouth  of  her  impatient  granddaughter. 
As  Peggy  and  Dorothy  went  hand  in  hand 
down  the  stairs,  a  little  voice  was  wafted  back 


186    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

to  her.  '  Your  present's  a  secret,  grandma. 
It's  going  to  be  'fum —  And  Mrs.  Raymond 
guessed  that  a  resolute  hand  clapped  over 
Dorothy's  too  communicative  lips,  accounted 
for  the  sudden  breaking  off  of  the  sentence. 

Dorothy  had  been  so  excited  over  the  pros- 
pect of  spending  her  twenty-six  cents  that 
Peggy  deemed  it  best  not  to  mention  the 
momentous  interview  which  was  to  preceed 
the  shopping.  On  the  way  down  town,  she 
broached  the  subject.  "  Dorothy,  how  would 
you  like  to  see  Santa  Claus?  " 

Dorothy  immediately  stood  up  on  the  seat. 
"Aunt  Peggy!  "  she  exclaimed  with  trembling 
earnestness,  "  Are  we  going  to  the  North 
Pole?" 

"  I'm  afraid  we're  not  bundled  up  enough  for 
such  a  cold  journey,"  laughed  Peggy.  "  But  I 
guess  we'll  find  Santa  on  the  third  floor  at 
Myers  and  Bates.  And,  if  he's  there,  you 
can  tell  him  what  you  want  most  for  Christmas." 

"  If  I  ask  him  for  a  dolly-baby's  carriage,  do 
you  s'pose  he'll  shake  his  head?  "  cried  Dorothy, 
lurching  as  the  car  jolted,  and  precipitating 
herself  into  Peggy's  arms.  u  Will  he  'member 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  187 

how  I  slapped  Sally,  'cause  she  wouldn't  let 
me  eat  out  of  Taffy's  plate?  " 

"Probably  he'll  forgive  you  for  that,  if 
you're  very,  very  sorry,"  returned  Peggy, 
smiling  as  she  thought  of  the  gift  stored  at 
Priscilla's,  to  be  safe  from  Dorothy's  prying. 
"  Anyway,  it  won't  do  any  harm  to  ask  him." 

On  the  third  floor  of  the  department  store, 
as  Peggy  had  conjectured,  a  somewhat  bored 
and  stolid  looking  Santa  Glaus  distributed 
mechanical  pats  on  the  heads  of  the  children 
gathered  about  him,  and  nodded  encourage- 
ment to  their  artless  confidences.  Dorothy 
gazed  with  half  fearful  fascination  at  his  wealth 
of  snowy  hair,  looking  all  the  whiter  in  contrast 
to  his  florid  complexion.  Whether  or  not 
Santa  Glaus  in  the  flesh  fell  short  of  her  expecta- 
tions, Peggy  did  not  know,  but  whatever  the 
explanation,  she  found  it  necessary  almost  to 
drag  Dorothy  to  the  august  presence. 

Her  turn  came  after  an  interminable  waiting. 
A  big  hand  patted  the  top  of  Dorothy's  head 
and  a  deep  voice  asked,  "  An'  what  are  you 
afther  wantin'  for  Christmas?  "  Considering 
a  life-long  residence  at  the  North  Pole,  Santa 


188    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Clans'  accent  was  surprisingly  suggestive  of 
Tipperary. 

Dorothy  did  not  reply  and  Peggy  nudged  her. 
'  Tell  him  what  you  want  for  Christmas, 
darling." 

"  A  pair  of  mittens,"  Dorothy  said  faintly. 

"  Mittens!  "  exclaimed  the  astonished  Peggy. 
"  Why,  I  thought  —  "  But  Santa  had  nodded, 
and  clapped  his  hand  on  the  red  head  of  the 
boy  next  in  line.  "  And  what  would  this  foine 
lad  be  wantin'  for  Christmas?  " 

The  two  moved  on.  Then  Dorothy  hid  her 
face  in  Peggy's  skirts,  smothering  a  wail. 

"  I  don't  like  Santa  Glaus,"  she  sobbed. 
"And  I  hate  mittens.  I'll  frow  'em  away. 
I'll  let  Taffy  eat  'em  up." 

"  Then  why  did  you  tell  him  you  wanted 
mittens?  "  asked  Peggy,  fighting  back  her 
laughter,  as  she  realized  the  seriousness  of  the 
situation,  from  Dorothy's  point  of  view. 

'  'Cause  he  didn't  look  as  if  he'd  give  me  a 
doll-carriage.  He  looked  as  if  I  hadn't  been  a 
good  girl.  0,  dear!  O,  dear!  " 

The  situation  was  becoming  embarrassing  as 
Dorothy's  sobs  grew  more  and  more  violent. 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  189 

People  turned  to  stare,  and  Peggy  hastily 
suggested  a  remedy. 

"  I  tell  you  what,  Dorothy.  We'll  go  back  and 
tell  him  it  was  a  mistake,  and  that  what  you 
really  wanted  was  a  doll-carriage." 

Though  this  suggestion  had  the  effect  of 
drying  Dorothy's  tears,  it  was  some  time  before 
she  could  be  persuaded  to  act  upon  it.  When 
they  again  presented  themselves  hi  the  line 
of  supplicants,  Dorothy  hung  back,  and  Peggy 
acted  as  spokesman. 

"  Santa  Glaus,  this  little  girl  made  a  mistake 
when  she  asked  you  for  mittens.  What  she 
really  wants  is  a  nice  doll-carriage,  so  she  can 
take  her  dolly  out  riding." 

Santa  Glaus  looked  at  Dorothy's  pink  eye- 
lids, and  cheeks  still  stained  with  tears,  and 
a  sudden  attractive  change  came  over  him. 
He  looked  less  like  a  tired,  red-faced  man, 
getting  through  with  the  drudgery  of  his  day's 
work,  and  more  like  the  jolly  saint  of  the  chimney 
and  fireplace.  A  twinkle  appeared  in  his  eye. 

"  I  think  mesilf  'tis  a  sinsible  change,"  said 
Santa  Glaus,  still  with  a  surprising  richness  of 
accent.  "  An'  'twud  be  no  wonder,  my  little 


190    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

dear,  if  you  got  thim  both,  and  a  matter  o' 
small  trifles  beside."  And  with  the  gorgeous 
indefiniteness  of  this  promise  sounding  in  her 
ears,  it  was  small  wonder  that  Dorothy  went 
away  radiant. 

Twenty-six  cents  is  easily  spent  under  certain 
conditions,  and  then  again,  its  investment  is 
a  matter  requiring  the  most  profound  delibera- 
tion, and  accompanied  by  frequent  changes  of 
mind.  The  amount  of  tune  and  consideration 
Dorothy  found  necessary  before  reaching  a 
conclusion,  passed  belief.  The  good-natured 
Christmas  crowd  surged  about  her  as  she  stood 
immovable  before  a  counter,  gazing  dreamily 
on  the  articles  displayed,  and  responding  to 
Peggy's  hints  with  a  reproving  "  Sh!  I'm 
thinking."  But  at  last  her  funds  were  expended, 
and  presents  provided  for  the  entire  family. 
As  Dorothy  would  not  listen  to  the  suggestion 
that  anything  should  be  sent,  both  she  and 
Peggy  had  their  arms  full  of  knobby  packages 
anything  but  small,  for  the  size  of  a  Christmas 
gift  bears  little  relation  to  the  cost. 

Once  outside,  Peggy  drew  a  breath  of  relief. 
"  That's  over  for  a  year,"  she  congratulated 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING          191 

herself.  "  Dorothy,  dear,  let's  walk  down  to 
the  next  block.  I  want  to  get  some  Christmas 
seals." 

Dorothy  who  had  borne  up  surprisingly  while 
her  own  shopping  was  in  progress,  now  devel- 
oped symptoms  of  weariness.  "  I'm  getting 
awful  tired  in  the  legs,  Aunt  Peggy." 

''  We'll  go  home  in  a  very  few  minutes, 
Dorothy.  Won't  grandma  be  surprised  to  see 
all  these  lovely  packages,  and  won't  she  wish 
she  knew  what  was  inside?  "  Thus  skilfully 
did  Peggy  divert  the  thoughts  of  her  small 
companion,  till  the  tired  little  feet  were  trotting 
jubilantly  over  the  pavements,  keeping  time 
to  joyful  thoughts. 

Half  way  down  the  block  a  young  man  stood 
before  a  jeweller's  window,  intent  on  the  dis- 
play. Something  in  his  attitude  struck  Peggy 
as  familiar.  She  looked  at  him  very  closely, 
and  then  her  eyes  flew  to  the  sign  over  the  door, 
King  and  Kennedy. 

Peggy  came  to  an  abrupt  halt.  A  sudden 
anger  blazed  in  her  eyes.  Righteous  indignation 
made  her  oblivious  to  everything  but  its  exci- 
ting cause.  For  the  young  man  by  the  jeweller's 


192    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

window  was  Graham  Wylie,  and  Peggy  could 
not  doubt  that  he  was  racking  his  brains  to 
decide  on  a  suitable  Christmas  gift  for  Maud. 

It  was  not  Peggy's  habit  to  evade  responsi- 
bility by  the  thought  that  a  thing  was  none  of 
her  business.  She  pushed  her  way  through  the 
crowd,  and  stood  at  Graham's  elbow.  "  Good 
afternoon." 

Graham's  start  was  of  course  due  to  a  guilty 
conscience,  though  the  face  he  turned  on  Peggy 
was  exasperatingly  non-committal  and  cheerful. 
"  Hello,  Peggy.  Come  over  to  see  the  spark- 
lers? " 

"  I  don't  care  much  about  jewellers'  win- 
dows," Peggy  said  with  severity.  "  What's  the 
use  of  looking  at  a  lot  of  things  you  can't  afford 
to  buy,  and  then  getting  to  want  them,  and 
making  yourself  miserable?  " 

Graham  chuckled. 

"  That  may  be  all  right  for  some  folks,"  he 
replied.  "  But  your  remarks  don't  apply,  of 
course,  to  wealthy  individuals  like  myself. 
I'm  thinking  of  buying  up  a  few  of  the  novelties 
before  I  go  home,  as  Christmas  remembrances 
for  my  friends." 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  193 

He  looked  at  Peggy  smilingly,  as  if  he  ex- 
pected her  to  appreciate  the  joke.  Meeting  the 
unblinking  gravity  of  her  gaze,  his  face  changed 
slightly. 

"  I  don't  believe  any  real  friend  of  yours 
would  want  a  very  expensive  present  from  you," 
exclaimed  Peggy,  too  indignant  to  realize  that 
she  was  on  dangerous  ground.  "  Because,  of 
course,  you  can't  afford  it." 

A  little  irritation  mingled  with  Graham's 
surprise. 

"  Naturally  a  fellow  just  finishing  college  and 
dependent  on  his  father  for  every  cent,  isn't 
going  to  blow  in  much  for  jewelry,"  he  replied 
with  an  air  of  wishing  to  change  the  subject. 
"  Some  of  these  designs  are  great,  Peggy,  even 
if  we  can't  buy  them." 

"  Are  they?  "  Peggy  looked  resolutely  over 
the  display,  as  if  defying  temptation. 

"  It's  an  enterprising  firm,"  continued 
Graham,  mystified  by  her  unusual  manner. 
"  They're  great  on  advertising.  The  first  ad. 
I  got  from  them  nearly  took  me  off  my  feet. 
It  was  gotten  up  like  a  letter." 

"What!"     Peggy's    sudden     accession     of 


194    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

breathless  interest  was  as  incomprehensible  as 
her  previous  air  of  disapproval.  "  A  letter? 
Tell  me  about  it,  Graham." 

"  Why,  there  isn't  much  to  tell.  It  reads  like 
a  note  of  thanks  for  different  presents  you've 
sent.  It  brings  in  the  name  of  the  firm  once  or 
twice,  and  puffs  'em  up  in  an  accidental  way. 
The  mother  of  one  of  the  fellows  read  his,  and 
thought  it  was  the  real  thing.  He  had  no  end 
of  trouble  explaining." 

This  time  Peggy  joined  in  Graham's  laughter, 
and  she  was  thankful  that  Ruth's  unconscious 
brother  did  not  guess  the  tension  of  feeling  be- 
neath her  merriment.  Peggy  only  wished  she 
had  wings  to  fly  to  Ruth,  and  tell  her  that  all 
was  well.  She  fought  against  an  alarming  im- 
pulse to  cry  on  the  spot,  to  relieve  her  own 
overcharged  heart.  But  as  it  happened,  the 
fates  had  provided  another  outlet.  There  was 
no  immediate  danger  of  Peggy's  losing  her  head 
from  joy. 

"  Where's  Dorothy?  " 

She  flung  the  frightened  question  full  in 
Graham's  face.  The  young  fellow  stood  staring. 

"  Dorothy?    Was  she  with  you?  " 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  195 

"  Yes.  She  was  right  here.  She  can't  have 
gotten  far  away.  O,  how  could  I  forget  her? 
How  could  I?  " 

They  pushed  through  the  crowd  to  the  curb, 
looking  wildly  in  both  directions.  Standing 
at  Graham's  elbow,  Peggy  babbled  on  almost 
incoherently. 

"  Red  coat,  Graham,  and  a  red  hood.  It 
was  only  a  minute  ago.  O,  why  did  I  do  it? 
Can't  you  see  a  little  girl  all  in  red?  0,  what 
will  mother  say?  " 

"  Look  here,  Peggy,  you  want  to  keep  your 
head."  The  sharpness  of  Graham's  tone  was 
like  a  dash  of  cold  water,  disagreeable  but 
effective.  "  Dorothy  won't  be  hurt  because 
she's  out  of  your  sight  for  a  minute.  But  if 
you're  going  to  be  any  help,  you  must  stop 
this." 

Peggy  gasped  a  little,  and  followed  meekly, 
pale  and  trembling,  but  controlling  herself  by 
a  mighty  effort.  The  policeman  at  the  corner 
had  not  seen  any  little  girl  in  red  wandering 
off  by  herself,  but  he  took  a  reassuring  view  of 
the  situation. 

"  If  you  haven't  found  her  in  twenty  minutes 


196    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

call  up  the  Stark  Street  station.  They're 
getting  'em  there  just  now  at  the  rate  of 
twenty  a  day." 

Twenty  minutes!  It  was  long  before  Peggy 
could  hear  that  measure  of  eternity  named, 
without  thinking  immediately  of  a  seemingly 
interminable  and  altogether  miserable  stretch 
of  tune,  in  which  she  seemed  to  experience 
enough  contrition  and  agonized  forboding  for  a 
half-dozen  lives.  "  Isn't  it  time  to  telephone, 
Graham?  "  she  asked  again  and  again,  and  each 
time  Graham  answered  with  amazing  patience. 
"  Not  yet,  Peggy.  Don't  be  scared.  Every- 
thing will  be  all  right." 

In  twenty  minutes  they  had  had  time  to 
search  both  sides  of  the  street  through  the 
crowded  shopping  district,  scanning  the  kalaido- 
scopic  crowd  in  search  of  a  little  girl  in  a  red 
coat  and  hood,  their  faces  lighting  up  at  every 
glimpse  of  that  cheery  color,  and  falling  again 
as  a  closer  look  failed  to  reveal  the  object  of 
their  search. 

At  length  the  endless  twenty  minutes  were 
up,  and  Graham  went  to  telephone.  Peggy 
waited  for  him  at  the  corner,  and  on  Graham's 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  197 

return  she  clapped  her  hands  over  her  ears. 
Later  Graham  wondered  why,  but  at  the  time 
he  was  only  thankful  that  it  was  not  necessary 
for  him  to  tell  the  bad  news.  Peggy  lifted  her 
eyes  to  his  face,  and  on  the  instant  read  the 
truth. 

"  She  isn't  there,"  she  gasped.  "  0,  Graham! " 

Ruth's  brother  took  her  by  the  arm.  "  Brace 
up,  Peggy,"  he  urged  kindly.  "  I  guess  we 
didn't  give  them  quite  time  enough.  I'll  call 
'em  up  again  in  another  ten  minutes.  Suppose 
we  —  " 

He  never  got  any  further,  for  at  the  moment 
someone  pulled  Peggy's  sleeve,  and  Peggy, 
turning,  looked  down  into  a  beautiful  face. 
Strictly  speaking,  it  perhaps  lacked  the  elements 
of  which  beauty  is  supposed  to  consist.  Under 
the  carroty  hair,  innumerable  freckles  stood 
out  in  bold  relief  against  the  layers  of  grime, 
while  the  absence  of  a  front  tooth  sacrificed  in 
a  fight,  gave  a  peculiar  impressiveness  to  the 
smile.  But  to  Peggy  the  countenance  was 
beyond  criticism,  for  it  was  the  face  of  Jimmy 
Dunn  and  he  had  Dorothy  by  the  hand. 

"  She's  a  great  kid,  she  is,"  exclaimed  Jimmy 


198    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Dunn  with  his  hoarse  chuckle.  "  There  was  a 
Santy  Claws  with  a  banner,  a-avertisin'  a  sale 
o'  Christmas  trees,  down  on  Block  street,  and 
she  up  and  trots  after  him.  I  seed  her,  and  I 
knowed  she  b'longed  to  you,  so  I  fetched  her 
along  back.  Ef  I  hadn't  found  you  'round  here, 
I  was  going  to  take  her  home." 

"  Jimmy,  old  man,"  Graham  exclaimed, 
"  you're  all  right."  He  slapped  the  boy's 
shoulder  with  a  good  fellowship  which  meant 
more  to  Jimmy  Dunn  than  a  dollar  bill.  Mean- 
while Peggy  was  crying  over  Dorothy,  who 
in  her  eagerness  to  impart  a  great  discovery  of 
her  own,  was  quite  indifferent  to  the  emotions 
of  her  relative. 

"  Aunt  Peggy,"  she  cried  breathlessly,  "  What 
do  you  think?  There's  two  of  Santa  Claus. 
Two  of  him,  Aunt  Peggy." 

Graham  took  them  home,  telling  Peggy 
good-naturedly  that  she  wasn't  fit  to  be  trusted, 
and  Peggy  was  too  thankful  to  be  taken  care 
of,  to  resent  the  implication.  The  car  was 
crowded,  and  Peggy  was  glad  of  the  opportunity 
this  gave  her  to  hold  Dorothy  on  her  lap,  and 
indulge  in  surreptitious  hugs.  Graham  sat 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING  199 

across  the  aisle  and  laughed  at  them  both  with 
the  vast  superiority  of  a  collegian. 

"  He  was  a  nice  Santa  Glaus,  Aunt  Peggy," 
was  Dorothy's  only  defence  when  reproached 
for  her  abrupt  departure.  "  I  asked  him  for 
lots  of  things,  a  dolly,  and  another  dolly  and  a 
naughty-mobeel  and  a  gold  watch  and  a  new 
house  and  a  picture  book.  O  dear!  Aunt 
Peggy*  I  wish  I'd  told  him  another  dolly 
beside." 

Graham  left  his  charges  at  Peggy's  door  as 
the  early  winter  dusk  was  veiling  the  sky. 
He  was  half  across  the  street  when  Peggy  called 
after  him : 

"  Graham!  0,  Graham!  Please  tell  Ruth  to 
come  over  here  as  quick  as  she  possibly  can." 

"  All  right,"  Graham  responded  and  smiled 
to  himself.  Peggy  wanted  to  tell  Ruth  all 
about  Dorothy's  disappearance,  of  course,  and 
her  rescue,  as  if  it  were  an  affair  of  thrilling 
moment.  "  Knew  she'd  turn  up,  all  right," 
thought  Graham,  puffing  out  his  chest,  and 
congratulating  himself  on  being  superior  to 
the  weakness  of  girls,  even  the  best  of  them. 

He  little  guessed  the  real  importance  of  the 


200    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

news  Peggy  had  to  tell,  or  the  difference  it 
was  to  make  in  his  sister's  Christmas.  When 
Ruth  came  back  presently,  moist  around  her 
lashes,  and  stooped  to  kiss  him,  as  he  sat  poring 
over  the  evening  paper,  he  was  far  from  sus- 
pecting that  in  that  kiss  there  was  penitence,  as 
well  as  the  love  of  which  he  was  so  sure. 

Dorothy  had  been  asleep  an  hour  when  Mrs. 
Raymond  bethought  herself  of  a  question  wThich 
the  exciting  character  of  Peggy's  return  had 
temporarily  banished  from  her  thoughts.  :'  By 
the  way,  Peggy,  where  are  Dorothy's  Christmas 
presents?  " 

Peggy  sat  up  straight,  stared  at  her  mother, 
and  let  her  work  drop  to  the  floor.  "  Mother 
Raymond! " 

"  Well,  what  is  it,  child?  " 

"  Mother,  they're  lost." 

"  Lost?    You  don't  mean  all  of  them?  " 

"I'm  —  I'm  afraid  so."  Peggy  looked 
shamed-facedly  at  the  carpet.  "  We  both  had 
our  arms  full,  and  I'm  sure  neither  of  us  had  a 
bundle  coming  home  in  the  car.  I  suppose 
when  I  found  Dorothy  was  lost,  I  let  every- 
thing drop." 


DOROTHY  GOES  SHOPPING          201 

"  And  when  Dorothy  saw  the  Santa  Glaus 
she  probably  did  the  same,"  said  Mrs.  Ray- 
mond, laughing  a  little.  "  It  isn't  a  great  loss 
as  far  as  their  value  is  concerned,  but  I'm 
afraid  she  will  be  dreadfully  disappointed." 

"  I  can  slip  down  town  to-morrow,  mother, 
and  get  duplicates  of  everything.  But  I  guess 
I'll  go  alone.  I  don't  feel  equal  to  taking 
Dorothy  shopping  again  till  Christmas  is  over." 

Peggy  stole  into  Dorothy's  room  as  she  went 
upstairs  to  bed,  just  to  make  sure  she  was  really 
there.  The  little  face  against  the  pillow  was 
charmingly  angelic.  Dorothy  asleep  showed  no 
traces  of  the  mischief  and  elfishness  which 
rendered  the  Dorothy  awake  a  care  as  well  as 
a  delight.  As  Peggy  stood  looking  down  on  her, 
Dorothy  moved  restlessly,  and  murmured  the 
wonderful  contribution  that  day  had  made  to 
her  fund  of  knowledge. 

"  There's  two  — of  Santa  Glaus." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CHRISTMAS   CELEBRATIONS 

"  HELLO,  Central.  That  was  the  wrong 
number.  I  want  White  6492,  please.  No, 
White.  Yes,  please." 

It  was  the  day  before  Christmas.  At  the 
telephone  exchanges  the  girls,  half  beside 
themselves  between  the  people  inquiring 
anxiously  as  to  the  fate  of  packages  not  yet 
delivered,  and  others  bent  on  extending  the 
compliments  of  the  season  to  their  friends, 
were  making  connections  with  the  haste  which 
results  hi  waste.  Peggy,  who  was  trying  to 
telephone  Elaine,  and  had  twice  received  the 
wrong  number,  rolled  her  eyes  impatiently 
in  her  mother's  direction. 

"  Reminds  me  of  the  telephones  we  used 
to  make  out  of  tin  boxes  and  linen  thread. 
When  we  couldn't  hear  over  the  'phone  we'd 
run  to  the  window  and  shout  across  the  street. 
I  could  have  gone  to  the  Marshalls  twice  over, 

202 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS          203 

while  I've  been  saving  time  by  telephoning. 
HeUo!  Is  that  you,  Mrs.  Marshall?  May  I 
speak  to  Elaine  a  minute?  " 

It  was  not  a  very  long  wait  this  time. 
"  Hello!  "  said  a  languid  voice,  not  a  Christ- 
masy  voice,  by  any  means. 

"  Hello,  Elaine.  Going  to  be  dreadfully 
busy  this  afternoon?  " 

"0,  I  guess  not."  Still  the  voice  had  a 
wilted  scund.  One  knew  instinctively  that  the 
mouth  of  the  speaker  drooped  at  the  corners. 

"  I've  got  something  to  take  over  to  the 
Dunns.  I  thought  perhaps  you'd  go  with  me. 
And  maybe  you'd  like  to  slip  some  little  thing 
into  the  basket,  a  ribbon  for  one  of  the  girls, 
or  a  package  of  nuts  or  something  of  that 
sort." 

"  All  right,"  said  Elaine,  with  a  sufficiently 
long  pause  before  her  reply  to  give  the  impres- 
sion that  in  point  of  fact  it  was  all  wrong. 
"  I  don't  mind." 

"  We'll  start  about  half-past  three,  I  think. 
Then  we'll  be  back  before  it  begins  to  be  dark. 
Thank  you  ever  so  much."  Peggy  was  smiling 
as  she  hung  up  the  receiver,  and  then,  catching 


204    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

her  mother's  eye,  her  inward  satisfaction  boiled 
over  in  a  chuckle. 

"  A  little  Christmas  missionary  work? " 
asked  Mrs.  Raymond,  smiling  too,  for  Peggy's 
pleasure  in  her  diplomacy  was  infectious. 

Peggy  nodded.  "  Mother,  you  don't  know 
how  Elaine  talks  about  Christmas,  fene  says 
she  wishes  she  could  sleep  right  through  it, 
and  never  wake  up  till  everything  was  over. 
You  see  it  is  so  different  from  every  other 
Christmas  Day  she  can  remember." 

"  Of  course  it  is,  poor  child." 

"  And  I  think,"  Peggy  continued  wisely, 
"  that  going  to  see  the  Dunns  is  pretty  likely 
to  give  one  a  thankful  feeling.  If  it  wasn't 
anything  but  getting  back  where  things  were 
clean,  it  would  be  quite  a  merry  Christmas  all 
by  itself.  Besides,  the  other  girls  are  up  to 
their  neck  in  work,  and  Elaine  isn't  going  to 
give  any  presents  to  speak  of,  so  she  can  spare 
the  time  better  than  anybody  else." 

When  Elaine  slipped  through  the  opening  in 
the  snow-covered  hedge  that  afternoon,  her 
appearance  carried  out  the  impression  her  voice 
had  given  in  the  brief  conversation  over  the 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS          205 

'phone.  She  moved  slowly,  heavily,  as  if  some 
unseen  burden,  resting  on  her  young  shoulders, 
claimed  all  her  strength.  Her  face  had  the 
blankness  of  one  whose  thoughts  are  far  away 
from  her  surroundings.  When  Peggy  flung 
open  the  door  to  welcome  her,  the  contrast 
between  the  two  was  almost  painful,  the  one 
girl  glowing,  bubbling  over  with  cheery  vitality, 
the  other  wearily  indifferent. 

The  sight  of  the  big  basket  waiting  in  the 
hall  was  successful  in  rousing  Elaine  from  her 
apathy.  "  What,  all  that?  "  she  cried. 

Peggy  laughed. 

"  One's  the  Christmas  dinner.  And  the  other 
has  toys  for  the  children.  O,  you  needn't 
look  so  surprised.  I  haven't  been  extravagant. 
I've  only  taken  up  a  collection  in  a  few  families 
where  there  are  children,  and  got  a  lot  of  play- 
things they  were  tired  of.  Dick  and  I  worked 
like  Trojans,  mending  up  things.  Dick's  a 
genius  when  it  comes  to  glue  and  that  sort  of 
thing." 

Peggy  pulled  off  the  cover  of  the  basket  in 
her  pride.  "  See  those  picture  books!  I  made 
the  covers  of  paste-board,  with  calico  pasted 


206    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

over  them.  The  insides  were  almost  as  good 
as  new.  Isabel's  doll  has  a  new  head  from  the 
ten  cent  store,  and  Estelle's  has  a  wig  that  be- 
longed to  another  doll  first.  Francesca  is  too 
old  for  dolls,  I  suppose,  so  there's  a  little 
bead  necklace  for  her.  And  Jimmy  and 
John  —  " 

Elaine  interrupted.  "  Isn't  it  funny  that  the 
girls  should  have  such  dressy  names,  and  the 
boys  such  every-day  ones?  " 

"  Mrs.  Dunn  names  the  girls,  and  Mr.  Dunn 
the  boys,  that's  why.  I've  got  a  pocket-knife 
for  Jimmy,  and  a  Noah's  ark  and  things  like 
that  for  the  little  boys.  I  guess  it'll  seem  like 
quite  a  Christmas  to  them,  even  if  the  toys 
are  second  hand." 

Each  with  a  basket  on  her  arm,  the  two  started 
away  toward  Glen  Echo  Avenue.  The  day  was 
crisp  and  cool,  with  a  clear  sky  overhead,  and 
snow,  still  white  and  sparkling,  underfoot. 
There  were  holly  wreaths  in  the  windows  of 
almost  every  house  they  passed,  and  something 
electric  tingled  in  the  air,  as  if  the  Christmas 
spirit  had  broken  bounds,  and  escaping  from 
happy  hearts,  had  charged  the  very  atmosphere. 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS         207 

Unconsciously  Elaine's  step  quickened,  her 
face  brightened,  and  her  voice,  instead  of  re- 
minding one  of  drooping  flowers,  was  rather 
suggestive  of  bright  crisp  evergreen. 

Over  on  Glen  Echo  Avenue  the  holiday 
spirit  was  in  evidence.  The  goat  whose  ac- 
quaintance Peggy  had  made  on  previous  visits, 
had  a  piece  of  evergreen  tied  to  one  horn,  and 
to  a  vivid  imagination  it  might  have  seemed 
that  he  was  trying  to  enact  the  role  of  one  of 
Santa  Glaus'  reindeer.  The  faces  of  the  chil- 
dren wore  an  expression  of  joyful  anticipation 
which  made  Peggy  a  little  anxious  for  fear 
that  disappointment  lay  in  wait  for  some  of 
them.  "  I  hope  they'll  look  as  happy  to-mor- 
row," she  said  to  Elaine  with  a  sigh.  "  Dear! 
I  wish  I  had  baskets  for  every  house  instead 
of  just  one." 

None  of  the  small  Dunns  were  in  evidence 
on  the  street,  and  Peggy  and  Elaine  made  their 
way  down  the  rickety  stairs  which  led  to  the 
front  door,  unannounced.  But  at  the  first 
knock  the  door  flew  open  with  a  promptness 
which  suggested  that  someone  of  the  family 
had  been  stationed  at  the  knob  to  act  the  part 


208    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

of  door-keeper.  At  the  sight  of  Peggy  a  cry 
arose.  "  Ma,  it's  Jimmy's  lady,  the  pretty 
one." 

Peggy  blushed  rosily,  at  hearing  herself  thus 
heralded,  and  went  on  to  the  kitchen,  her 
scarlet  face  under  her  green  hat,  looking  not 
unlike  an  animated  sprig  of  holly.  "  Merry 
Christmas,  Mrs.  Dunn,"  she  cried,  "  Merry 
Christmas,  children." 

Mrs.  Dunn  who  sat  in  a  rocking-chair  beside 
the  stove,  a  woollen  scarf  tied  around  her  head, 
seemed  rather  inclined  to  resent  the  tone  of 
the  greeting. 

"  Thank  you  kindly,  Miss  I'm  sure,"  she 
said.  "  Though  breath  is  cheap  and  '  Merry 
Christmas '  ain't  a'going  to  fill  nobody's  stom- 
mick."  She  cast  a  covetous  eye  upon  the 
girls'  load,  and  Peggy  set  the  basket  of  pro- 
visions on  the  table,  smiling  encouragingly. 
"  I  guess  you'll  find  something  filling  here, 
Mrs.  Dunn,"  she  said.  "  And  plenty  of  good 
wishes  go  with  it." 

"  Don't  hardly  look  sizeable  enough  to  hold 
a  turkey,"  suggested  Mrs.  Dunn,  eyeing  the 
basket  with  disfavor. 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS  209 

"  No,  there  isn't  a  turkey." 

"  A  chicken's  a  long  way  from  turkey," 
observed  Mrs.  Dunn,  with  an  apparent  effort 
to  conceal  her  disappointment.  "  But  I  s'pose 
you  could  call  it  the  next  best  thing.  A  real 
good-sized  chicken  now,  with  stuffin'  - 

"  There  isn't  a  chicken  either,  Mrs.  Dunn," 
said  Peggy  with  firmness.  "  But  there's  a 
nice  roast  of  beef,  and  plenty  of  potatoes,  and 
other  vegetables,  and  a  mince  pie,  and,  0,  yes, 
a  tumbler  of  jelly." 

The  lips  of  the  little  Dunns  were  all  ajar 
as  if  to  give  visible  evidence  that  their  mouths 
were  watering,  as  Peggy  recited  the  menu  of 
their  Christmas  dinner,  but  Mrs.  Dunn,  evi- 
dently feeling  that  she  owed  it  to  herself  to 
regard  the  traditions  of  the  day,  underwent  an 
evident  struggle  before  she  could  bring  herself 
to  the  point  of  magnanimity. 

"  0,  well,"  she  said  at  last,  "  roast  beef  is 
nllin',  even  if  'tain't  what  you  could  call 
temptin'.  I  s'pose  it's  my  complication  that 
makes  me  peckish  about  my  victuals."  She 
turned  sharply  upon  the  children,  who  were 
nudging  one  another,  repeating  with  joyful 


210    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

giggles,  "Mince  pie!"  "Jelly!"  Her  frown 
reduced  them  to  instant  gravity. 

"  What  ails  you,  anyway?  "  demanded  Mrs. 
Dunn.  "  Act  like  you  never  had  a  Christmas 
dinner  in  all  your  lives." 

Peggy  steered  the  conversation  from  the 
delicate  subject  by  opening  the  other  basket, 
and  now  it  would  have  taken  more  than  Mrs. 
Dunn's  frown  to  have  suppressed  the  children's 
hilarity.  There  was  a  chorus  of  voices,  shrill 
squeals,  which  might  have  expressed  almost 
anything  from  acute  physical  anguish  to  ecstasy, 
and  really  did  stand  for  the  latter,  gurgles  of 
excited  laughter,  questions  that  ran  into  one 
another,  without  waiting  for  answers,  a  medley 
of  happy  voices  which  perhaps  comes  the  near- 
est to  perfect  Christmas  music  than  any  since 
Bethlehem. 

"  Look,  Ma.    It's  got  shoes  and  stockings." 

"  There's  animals  in  this  here  house.  It's 
a  zoolog'cal  garden." 

"  See  the  baby!  Don't  he  like  Christmas, 
though! " 

The  baby,  indeed,  was  entering  splendidly 
into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion.  A  rattle  in  one 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS  211 

hand,  a  rubber  cow  in  the  other,  he  regarded 
his  laughing  brothers  and  sisters  with  a  respon- 
sive grin,  revealing  gums  guiltless  of  teeth. 
"  The  dear!  "  said  Peggy  with  a  little  gulp,  for 
all  this  artless  joy  had  touched  some  of  those 
sensitive  nerves  which  he  between  pain  and 
pleasure.  Peggy  was  laughing  with  the  rest, 
but  her  eyes  were  dewy. 

A  mew  outside  of  the  door  broke  in  on  this 
hilarity.  "  It's  Jimmy's  kitty,"  screamed 
Estelle,  crossing  the  kitchen  with  a  hop,  skip 
and  jump.  "  She  knows  Christmas  has  come 
and  she  wants  to  be  in  it." 

The  kitten  for  whose  rescue  Jimmy  Dunn 
had  fought  so  valiantly,  showed  great  improve- 
ment over  her  miserable  self  on  the  occasion 
which  Peggy  so  vividly  remembered.  She  could 
not  be  called  a  handsome  cat,  even  now.  A 
fractured  tail  had  been  among  the  injuries 
sustained  in  the  hardships  of  her  earlier  exist- 
ence, and  that  member  was  carried  on  one 
side,  in  a  manner  suggesting  excessive  weight. 
Though  no  longer  muddy,  her  fur  was  by  no 
means  clean,  and  the  hollowness  of  her  sides 
reflected  on  the  Dunns'  bounty.  Yet  she  purred, 


212    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

as  she  entered,  arching  her  back,  and  craning 
her  neck  under  Estelle's  caresses  in  a  fashion 
which  proved  conclusively  that  though  the 
fare  night  be  meagre  at  times  there  was  no  lack 
of  kindness  in  the  Dunn  establishment  for  the 
little  outcast. 

"  0,  here's  Violetta,"  Peggy  cried.  Owing  to 
the  sex  of  Jimmy's  protege,  Mrs.  Dunn  had 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  naming  her,  be- 
stowing on  the  waif  the  name  that  would  have 
been  given  to  Bill,  the  baby,  if  his  turning  out 
a  boy  had  not  transferred  the  right  of  decision 
from  his  mother  to  his  father.  Peggy  rummaged 
in  the  bottom  of  her  basket,  as  the  Dunns, 
one  after  another,  stroked  Violetta's  back, 
with  grimy  fingers,  and  displayed  their  new 
acquisitions.  "  Where  has  that  package  gone 
to? "  scolded  Peggy.  "  I  hope  I  haven't 
forgotten  Violetta's  present.  0,  no,  here  it  is." 

The  small  Dunns  were  bursting  now  with  joy- 
ful curiosity,  and  when  Peggy  produced  a  small 
package  from  the  corner  into  which  it  had  rolled, 
and  held  it  close  to  Violetta's  nose,  the  hush 
in  the  kitchen  was  like  the  lull  that  precedes  a 
storm.  The  storm  broke  in  wild  outcries  and 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS          213 

hilarious  laughter  when  Violetta,  having 
sampled  the  catnip,  threw  herself  on  her 
ridging  backbone,  waved  her  four  paws  in  the 
air,  and  indulged  in  a  low  rumbling  purr,  like 
the  sound  of  distant  thunder.  Even  Mrs.  Dunn 
deigned  to  smile. 

"  Law  now!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  That  ain't 
no  common  alley  cat.  She  acts  like  she  sensed 
it  was  Christmas,  same  as  a  human." 

In  spite  of  Peggy's  early  start,  the  dark  was 
coming  on  when  they  got  away.  Elaine  slipped 
her  hand  through  her  friend's  arm  in  a  fashion 
that  almost  had  the  effect  of  a  caress.  More 
wonderful  still,  meeting  Peggy's  eyes,  she 
smiled  spontaneously,  not  as  though  it  cost 
her  an  effort. 

"  It  was  nice,  Peggy,"  she  acknowledged. 
"  But  at  first  I  thought  I  wasn't  going  to  like  it 
a  bit.  How  do  you  put  up  with  that  woman?  " 

Peggy  smiled  indulgently.  "  Mother  says," 
she  quoted,  "  that  '  gratitude  is  the  flower  of 
human  nature  at  its  best.'  I  used  to  scold  about 
some  of  the  people  she  helped,  because  it 
seemed  to  me  that  they  didn't  half  appreciate 
it.  But  she  always  told  me  that  it  wasn't 


214    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

fair  to  expect  too  much  gratitude  from  poor, 
ignorant  people.  I  guess  it's  a  good  thing  not 
to  start  out  with  your  expectations  too  high. 
It  keeps  you  from  being  disappointed." 

"  Your  mother  is  so  good,  Peggy,"  Elaine 
said  rather  wistfully.  "  It's  no  wonder  - 
She  checked  herself  as  if  fearful  of  being  mis- 
understood. "  Anyway  it  was  lovely  to  see 
the  children,"  she  hurried  on,  with  a  quick 
change  of  tone.  "  For  a  few  minutes  I  felt 
as  if  it  were  really  Christmas,  and  that's  more 
than  I  expect  to  feel  again  this  year." 

Peggy  stared  down  the  street,  resolutely 
repressing  a  smile.  She  had  good  reason  for 
knowing  that  Elaine  was  soon  to  have  another 
reminder  of  the  arrival  of  Christmas.  She  ran 
up  to  her  room  the  minute  she  reached  home, 
to  take  a  look  at  the  miniature  Christmas  tree, 
which  Dick  was  to  place  on  Elaine's  door-step 
as  soon  as  it  was  dark  enough  so  that  he  could 
venture  out  without  being  seen.  It  stood  up 
bravely  in  a  big  flower-pot,  plainly  refusing  to 
be  considered  insignificant  because  of  its  diminu- 
tive stature.  Festoons  of  popcorn  and  tinsel 
hung  on  its  boughs  and  gaudy  ornaments  made 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS          215 

bright  spots  of  color  among  the  green.  Each 
of  the  girls  had  contributed  some  little  gift. 
Peggy,  knowing  Elaine's  sensitive  pride,  had 
emphasized  the  point  that  the  presents  were  to 
be  the  merest  trifles.  Rhymes  accompanied 
each,  showing  varied  poetical  endowments  on 
the  part  of  the  givers.  Amy,  after  having 
devoted  several  hours  to  the  composition  of 
something  appropriate  and  effective,  had  finally 
fallen  back  on  the  couplet, 

"  When  this  you  see 
Remember  me." 

Peggy,  as  self-appointed  committee  on  ar- 
rangements, was  very  near  rejecting  this  as 
unworthy  the  occasion.  It  was  only  Amy's 
pathetic  appeal  and  her  bringing  into  evidence 
the  sheets  of  foolscap,  scrawled  over  with  her 
vain  attempts  to  be  witty  and  epigrammatic, 
which  caused  Peggy's  resolution  to  weaken, 
and  led  her  at  last  to  accept  reluctantly  a 
contribution  which  could  hardly  be  considered 
original. 

Altogether  it  was  a  brave  little  tree,  as 
significant  of  good  will  as  if  its  tip  had  brushed 


216    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

the  ceiling.  It  was  like  a  cheery  visible  voice 
crying,  "  Merry  Christmas."  Peggy  felt  sure 
that  at  the  sight  of  it  Elaine  would  be  forced 
to  revise  her  wish  that  she  could  sleep  through 
the  twenty-fifth  of  December  without  once 
waking. 

Peggy's  Christmas  day  was  very  much  like 
other  Christmas  days.  Indeed  it  is  difficult 
to  find  a  new  fashion  in  Christmases,  which 
will  be  any  improvement  on  the  standard 
variety.  There  were  -the  usual  thrilling  mo- 
ments when  the  stockings  were  rifled.  As  always 
there  were  little  gifts  put  into  big  boxes  and 
larger  gifts  skilfully  concealed,  so  their  presence 
could  not  be  discovered  till  the  last  moment. 
There  were  the  usual  kisses  and  assurances  that 
everything  was  exactly  what  everybody  had 
been  hoping  for,  words  that  somehow  seemed  to 
counteract  the  frost  and  chill  of  the  season, 
and  make  the  December  world  as  balmy  as 
June. 

Of  course  Peggy  had  to  make  a  number  of 
Christmas  calls  along  the  Terrace,  to  see  how 
beautifully  everyone  had  been  remembered. 
And  equally  of  course,  the  other  girls  all  dropped 


CHRISTMAS  CELEBRATIONS          217 

in  on  Peggy  during  the  day.  That  the  stock 
of  superlatives  in  the  language  had  not  given 
out  long  before  the  twenty-fifth  of  December 
drew  to  its  close  was  proof  positive  that  the 
supply  was  inexhaustible. 

Peggy  smiling,  sleepy,  and  with  the  satis- 
fying consciousness  that  everything  had  turned 
out  just  as  she  had  hoped,  was  ready  to  go 
upstairs  to  bed,  when  the  telephone  bell  rang. 
A  sweet  voice,  with  a  plaintive  undertone,  spoke 
her  name 

"  Is  this  Peggy  Raymond?  " 

"  Yes,  this  is  Peggy.  But  I'm  afraid  I 
don't  recognize  your  voice." 

"  It's  a  little  late  to  wish  you  a  Merry  Christ- 
mas, I'm  afraid.  But  I  couldn't  let  the  day 
close  without  good  wishes  of  some  sort.  May 
the  new  year  bring  you  all  the  happiness  you 
deserve.  I  don't  think  I  could  wish  you  any- 
thing better  than  that." 

There  was  an  earnestness  hi  the  strange  voice 
that  went  to  Peggy's  heart.  "  Thank  you  ever 
so  much,"  she  answered  gratefully.  "  But  I'm 
sure  that  every  year,  so  far,  has  brought  me 
lots  of  happiness  I  didn't  deserve  at  all.  It's 


218    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

queer,"  she  added,  changing  the  subject  hastily, 
"  But  I  can't  seem  to  think  who  you  are." 

"  A  girl  who  does  as  much  as  you  do  to 
make  other  people  happy,"  the  strange  voice 
persisted,  "  deserves  the  best  of  everything. 
Good-night,  Peggy,  dear." 

"  But  who  -  '  Peggy  was  beginning,  when 
a  little  click  told  her  that  her  question,  if  com- 
pleted, would  fall  on  the  empty  air.  She  hung 
up  the  receiver,  perplexed  and  as  near  disap- 
pointed as  was  possible  at  the  close  of  so  perfect 
a  day. 

"  Why  didn't  she  say  who  she  was?  "  Peggy 
asked  herself.  "  It  seems  as  if  I  ought  to  re- 
member a  voice  so  sweet,  but  it  didn't  sound  a 
bit  familiar."  She  paused  at  the  door  of  the 
parlor  to  take  a  last  look  at  the  denuded 
Christmas  tree,  and  the  table  where  the  gifts 
were  still  displayed,  for  the  benefit  of  friends 
who  might  drop  in  within  a  day  or  two,  and 
went  slowly  to  her  room.  But  in  her  dreams, 
she  heard  again  and  again  a  gentle  voice,  pen- 
sive and  sweet,  whispering,  "  A  happy  new 
year  to  dear  Peggy  Raymond." 


CHAPTER  XIV 

A   DISAGREEMENT 

IT  was  a  doleful  Peggy  who,  coining  home  late 
one  drizzly  January  afternoon,  found  the  gas 
lighted  in  the  living-room  and  Ruth  waiting 
for  her.  Peggy  acknowledged  her  friend's 
presence  by  a  rueful  smile,  immediately  extin- 
guished by  an  unseasonable  shower,  as  sudden 
as  an  April  rain. 

"  There!  There!  Don't  cry,  Peggy.  I- 
know  exactly  how  you  feel."  Ruth  adminis- 
tered consolation  in  the  shape  of  sundry  com- 
forting pats,  while  Peggy  burrowed  in  the  sofa 
cushions  and  sniffed  without  restraint.  "  It's 
dreadful  to  have  them  both  go  at  once,"  she 
explained  in  a  stifled  voice. 

"  Of  course  it  is." 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  be  glad  that  Alice  is 
well  enough  to  have  Dorothy  home  again.  She 
must  have  missed  her  every  minute.  I  know  I 

shall."     A  sob. 

219 


220    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Nobody  could  help  it.  Such  a  darling 
child!" 

"  Of  course  she  can't  travel  by  herself, 
and  mother  was  hankering  to  see  Alice,  and,  be- 
sides, she  needed  a  rest.  I'm  a  perfect  goose, 
so  there!  "  Peggy  sat  up,  wiping  her  eyes  with 
a  severity  that  might  have  been  intended  to 
warn  them  against  repeating  their  late  in- 
discretion. 

Ruth  hastened  to  defend  her  friend  against 
herself.  '  You're  nothing  of  the  kind.  Any- 
body'd  cry.  And  coming  home  after  people 
have  gone  away  is  always  dreadful." 

"  That's  why  you're  here,  isn't  it?  "  Peggy 
gave  Ruth's  hand  a  grateful  squeeze.  "  I 
could  hardly  get  up  my  courage  to  come  in,  till 
I  remembered  something  I  wanted  to  tell 
Sally  about  the  supper.  You  see  I  am  house- 
keeper now." 

"  I'm  afraid  it  will  be  pretty  hard  for  you." 

"0,  no  indeed."  Peggy  spoke  with  her 
usual  blitheness.  "  Sally's  splendid  if  she's 
looked  after.  Of  course  she  hasn't  any  head- 
piece, but  she's  as  willing  as  the  day  is  long." 

The  sudden  entrance  of  the  object   of   this 


A  DISAGREEMENT  221 

eulogy  cut  it  short.  Sally  was  dressed  for 
the  street,  even  to  a  faded  cotton  umbrella 
tucked  under  her  arm  at  such  an  angle  that  the 
point  would  endanger  the  eyesight  of  all 
pedestrians.  "I'm  leaving,"  she  announced 
cheerfully. 

As  Peggy's  amazement  temporarily  bereft 
her  of  the  powers  of  speech,  Ruth  was  driven 
to  expostulate.  "  You  don't  mean  you're  going 
away  to  stay?  You  wouldn't  do  that,  I'm  sure." 

"  My  step-aunt's  husband's  had  a  stroke," 
explained  Sally  with  unimpaired  cheerfulness. 
"  It's  his  second  and  'tain't  likely  he'll  last 
long.  I  wouldn't  miss  his  fun'rel  for  anything." 

Peggy  by  this  time  was  capable  of  remon- 
strance. "  But,  Sally,  wait  till  the  time  is  set 
for  the  funeral.  He  may  live  some  time  yet. 
Just  think  how  hard  it  will  be  for  me  if  you 
leave  me  while  mother's  away." 

Ordinarily  Sally  would  have  been  touched  by 
this  plea.  She  was  a  reliable  creature,  on  the 
whole,  and  devoted  to  the  Raymonds,  one  and 
all.  But  the  temptation  afforded  by  the  serious 
illness  of  her  step-aunt's  husban'd  was  of  no 
common  sort. 


222    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  My  goodness,  Miss  Peggy!  "  she  exclaimed 
indignantly.  "  The  fun'rel  ain't  the  whole 
show.  I  wouldn't  miss  his  last  hours  for 
anything  you  could  name.  My  step-aunt's 
sister  from  West  Virginia  will  come  on,  like 
enough,  to  say  nothin'  of  her  kin  up  in  Lester 
County.  I  ain't  the  sort  o'  girl  to  slight  my 
duties  every  time  the  circus  comes  to  town," 
declared  Sally  impressively,  "  but  a  reel  death 
in  the  fambly  don't  happen  every  day,  and 
'twould  be  flying  in  the  face  of  Providence  not 
to  take  notice." 

If  Peggy  had  looked  forward  to  a  pensive 
evening,  with  leisure  for  occasional  tears,  this 
unexpected  development  necessitated  an  im- 
mediate change  of  program.  She  had  neglected 
her  lessons  for  the  next  day  in  helping  her 
mother  to  get  away,  and  the  sudden  accession 
of  Sally's  duties  in  addition  to  her  own  meant 
that  every  minute  must  be  accounted  for. 
When  her  father  went  to  bed  that  night  he 
stood  in  the  doorway  for  a  full  minute,  his 
glance  travelling  from  the  clock  to  the  desperate 
figure  of  his  daughter.  Peggy's  elbows  were 
planted  on  the  table,  while  her  hands  clutched 


A  DISAGREEMENT  223 

her  hair,  and  her  lips  moved  noiselessly.  On 
the  whole,  her  attitude  suggested  Lady  Macbeth 
rather  than  a  high  school  girl,  poring  over  one 
of  the  gems  of  English  literature. 

"  Daughter." 

Peggy  did  not  hear. 

"  Daughter,  it  is  eleven  o'clock." 

Peggy  jumped. 

"  O,  yes,  father.  I'll  go  to  bed  as  soon  as  I 
have  finished  reading  this  canto."  She  bent 
again  over  the  page,  but  her  father  was  not 
satisfied. 

"  If  Sally's  likely  to  be  gone  any  time,  I 
think  your  mother  had  better  come  back. 
It  won't  do,  you  know,  to  have  you  over- 
working —  " 

Peggy  whirled  about,  quite  forgetting  the 
"  Fairie  Queen."  "  0,  father,  don't  do  that. 
I'll  get  along  splendidly.  It  would  be  such  a 
shame  to  spoil  mother's  visit  with  Alice.  And 
Sally  may  be  back  any  day.  I  wouldn't  have 
them  know  for  anything." 

Mr.  Raymond  went  upstairs  only  hah*  con- 
vinced, as  Peggy  guessed  from  his  expression. 
She  made  up  her  mind  that  in  the  future 


224    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

when  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  study  late 
she  would  do  it  hi  her  own  room,  where  it 
would  disturb  nobody.  She  further  decided  on 
rising  at  five  o'clock  to  get  as  much  as  possible 
of  the  day's  work  out  of  the  way  before  school. 

Peggy's  plan  might  have  been  feasible  had 
she  ever  learned  the  gentle  art  of  slighting. 
Perhaps  there  was  an  atom  of  foolish  pride  at 
the  bottom  of  her  determination  to  keep  the 
house  in  as  scrupulous  order  as  if  her  mother 
and  Sally  had  both  been  present  to  assist. 
She  was  out  of  bed  long  before  daylight  every 
morning,  sweeping  and  dusting,  rubbing  and 
polishing,  till  by  breakfast  time  she  was  faint 
and  tired,  and  found  it  necessary  to  scrub  her 
cheeks  violently  with  a  rough  crash  towel 
before  she  dared  trust  herself  under  her  father's 
eyes.  With  her  mother  the  stratagem  would 
probably  have  failed,  but  Mr.  Raymond  seeing 
the  blooming  cheeks  and  vivacious  smile  of 
the  young  person  behind  the  coffee-pot,  said 
to  himself  that  it  looked  as  if  Peggy  were  get- 
ting on  all  right,  and  that  it  would  be  a  pity  to 
spoil  his  wife's  visit,  unless  it  were  absolutely 
necessary. 


A  DISAGREEMENT  225 

Dick  enjoyed  the  new  regime.  Dick  heartily 
approved  of  his  sister's  cooking,  even  going  so 
far  as  to  brag  of  it  in  the  neighborhood.  One 
of  the  boys  who  received  the  brotherly  boasts 
with  a  supercilious  air,  was  immediately  chal- 
lenged. 

"  See  here,  you  don't  believe  it,  do  you? 
I  tell  you  what!  You  and  Tom  come  'round 
to-night  to  supper.  That's  all.  Just  come 
'round  and  see  for  yourselves." 

The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  Dick  went 
home  with  the  high  spirits  of  one  who  has  de- 
fended the  family  honor.  As  he  passed  the 
kitchen  window  he  experienced  a  distinct 
shock.  Peggy  was  visible,  but  not  the  bloom- 
ing Peggy  of  the  morning.  She  was  pale  and 
heavy-eyed  and  a  damp  towel  tied  around  her 
forehead  gave  the  clue.  Early  rising,  late 
study,  and  almost  continuous  work  between  had 
resulted  in  a  sick  headache,  which  Peggy, 
limp  and  languid,  was  doing  her  best  to  fight 
off. 

Dick  stood  in  the  hall,  a  prey  to  remorse. 
Peggy  was  sick,  and  he  had  invited  company  to 
supper.  He  realized,  with  the  fatal  clearness, 


226       THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

which  so  often  accompanies  an  afterthought, 
that  even  if  Peggy  had  not  been  suffering,  the 
invitation  was  distinctly  inconsiderate.  With 
her  school  work,  and  the  cares  of  the  house  on 
her  shoulders,  she  was  doing  too  much,  at  the 
best  of  times.  Ordinarily  Dick  did  not  lack 
courage,  but  with  his  conscience  against  him 
the  prospect  of  making  a  full  acknowledgment 
to  Peggy  was  an  ordeal  from  which  he 
shrank. 

After  ten  minutes  of  aimless  waiting  Dick 
pushed  open  the  door  and  advanced  into  the 
kitchen  on  tiptoe,  a  relic  of  earlier  days,  when 
he  had  somehow  formed  the  impression  that 
not  making  a  noise  was  equivalent  to  being 
good.  Peggy  turned  her  pale  face  in  his  di- 
rection. 

"  Is  that  you,  Dick?  I  wish  —  "  She  broke 
off,  staring  with  surprise  at  her  brother's  crest- 
fallen figure.  "  Why,  Dick?  Is  anything  the 
matter?  " 

"  Yes."  The  one  miserable  word  came  out 
with  uncompromising  bluntness. 

Peggy  was  still  staring.  "  But  nothing  much, 
is  it,  Dick?  " 


STARING     WITH     SURPRISE     AT     HER     BROTHER'S     CREST- 
FALLEN   FIGURE." 


A  DISAGREEMENT  227 

'  Yes."  Dick  had  taken  a  surreptitious 
glance  at  his  sister,  and  his  burden  of  self- 
reproach  had  at  once  grown  heavier.  "  It's 
awful." 

Peggy's  thoughts  flew  to  her  mother.  Or 
perhaps  Dorothy  had  met  with  an  accident. 
She  was  such  a  flyaway.  Or  could  it  be  that 
Alice  -  She  dropped  into  a  chair.  "  Tell 
me,  Dick,"  she  begged,  her  lips  very  white. 

"I  —  I  hate  to  so  I  can't."  Shame  made 
Dick's  voice  tragic. 

Peggy's  fingers  gripped  the  sides  of  her  chair. 
Whatever  had  happened  she  must  control 
herself.  Like  one  in  a  dream  she  heard  Dick 
floundering  on. 

"  Maybe  something  will  happen  yet,  so  — 
so  it  won't  be  so  bad."  Dick  was  thinking 
hopefully  that  perhaps  one  of  his  invited 
guests  would  find  himself  unable  to  accept. 

"  Go  on,"  gasped  Peggy.  But  her  appear- 
ance, instead  of  encouraging  Dick  to  confession, 
made  it  seem  impossible. 

"I  —  I  guess  I'll  wait,"  he  choked.  "  Maybe 
you'll  feel  better  before  supper." 

Peggy's   strength   returned  with  miraculous 


228    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

suddenness.  She  pounced  upon  her  brother 
as  he  was  about  to  escape.  "  Tell  me  now, 
Dick.  I  —  I  can  bear  it." 

"  I  —  "  Dick  swallowed.  "  I  asked  Skits 
to  supper." 

Peggy  waited  stupidly. 

"  And  Tom,  too.  I  wanted  to  show  'em  what 
a  good  cook  you  were." 

Another  pause.  "  Go  on,"  prompted  a  stifled 
voice.  "  What  about  mother?  " 

It  was  Dick's  turn  to  be  startled.  "  Mother? 
Why,  has  anything  happened  to  mother?  " 

Peggy's  wits  were  in  working  order  again. 
"  Dick  Raymond,  you  don't  mean  that  you've 
almost  scared  me  to  death  because  you  invited 
two  boys  to  supper!  "  And  then,  reading  in 
his  face  that  she  had  hit  the  mark,  Peggy's 
overtaxed  nerves  played  her  false,  and  she 
sat  down  promptly  on  the  floor,  where  she 
laughed  and  cried  together. 

Poor  Dick,  at  his  wit's  end,  tried  vainly  to 
allay  the  storm.  "  See  here,  Peggy.  You 
don't  need  to  have  'em  if  you  don't  want  'em." 
That  was  when  her  sobs  were  most  violent. 
Then  with  sudden  indignation:  "  I'd  like  to 


A  DISAGREEMENT  229 

know  what  you're  laughing  at  anyway,  Peg 
Raymond.  /  don't  see  anything  funny." 

The  laughter  had  the  better  of  the  tears  at 
last  and  Peggy  wiped  her  eyes,  took  a  long 
breath,  and  climbed  unsteadily  to  her  feet. 
"  Dick." 

"  What?  " 

"  The  next  time  you  have  any  bad  news  to 
tell,  don't  try  to  break  it  gently.  Just  blurt  it 
out,  no  matter  what  happens.  I  think  that's 
safer,  on  the  whole."  Peggy  moved  languidly 
to  the  sink,  where  she  removed  the  encircling 
towel  and  proceeded  to  bathe  her  eyes. 
"  Dick." 

"  What  d'ye  want?  "  The  conscience-stricken 
Dick  was  on  his  feet  instantly,  ready  to  fly  in 
any  direction  at  a  word. 

"  You  needn't  tell  the  boys  not  to  come.  If 
one  of  the  girls  will  come  over  and  help  me, 
I  guess  we  can  fix  up  some  sort  of  supper.  You 
run  and  ask  Elaine." 

But  when  Dick  appeared  fifteen  minutes 
later  he  was  accompanied  by  Priscilla  in- 
stead of  Peggy's  next-door  neighbor.  "  Elaine 
couldn't  come,"  explained  Dick.  "  She's  sick, 


230    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

too.  Her  mother  said  she  couldn't  lift  her  head 
from  the  pillow." 

It  was  Priscilla's  first  intimation  that  she  had 
been  second  choice,  and,  to  a  girl  of  her  tem- 
perament, the  news  was  disquieting.  "I'm. 
sorry  you  couldn't  have  the  one  you  wanted, 
Peggy,"  she  said,  with  dangerous  sweetness. 
"  But  I'll  do  my  best  to  take  her  place."  Then 
catching  sight  of  poor  Peggy's  swollen  eyes  and 
drooping  figure,  she  had  the  grace  to  be  ashamed 
of  herself. 

It  was  a  very  good  supper,  though  Peggy, 
sitting  pale  and  heavy-eyed,  at  the  end  of  the 
table,  ate  little  of  it.  Strawberry  preserves, 
and  some  of  Sally's  fruit  cookies,  had  helped 
out  so  nicely  that  it  had  not  been  necessary  to 
do  much  cooking,  and  in  Dick's  present  state 
of  penitence  he  would  have  eaten  pine  shavings 
and  sworn  that  they  were  delicious.  As  he 
watched  Skits,  gorging  himself  with  preserves, 
Dick  suddenly  realized  that  the  supper  invi- 
tation was  not  at  all  in  accordance  with  Skits' 
deserts.  "  I'd  ought  to  have  punched  his 
head  when  he  acted  as  if  he  didn't  believe 
about  Peggy's  cooking,"  thought  Dick,  scowling 


A  DISAGREEMENT  231 

darkly  at  his  unconscious  guest.  "  Just  as 
though  everybody  along  the  Terrace  didn't 
know  that  she's  got  'em  all  skinned." 

Unconscious  of  the  regrets  disturbing  their 
host's  peace  of  mind,  Skits  and  Tom  made  out 
an  excellent  meal,  and  withdrew  to  the  next 
room  to  examine  some  new  stamps  Dick  had 
recently  added  to  his  collection.  Priscilla, 
who  had  quite  recovered  from  her  little  pique, 
pushed  Peggy  into  the  rocking-chair,  when  she 
attempted  to  assist  with  the  work. 

"  You  sit  still,"  she  scolded.  "  Don't  you 
dare  move!  I'll  be  through  the  dishes  in  no 
time." 

The  offer  was  too  tempting  to  refuse.  Peggy 
sat  in  the  kitchen  rocking-chair,  where  Sally 
rested  when  her  daily  labors  were  over,  and 
watched  Priscilla  as  she  proceeded  deftly  with 
the  work.  "  It  seems  a  shame,"  she  said,  but 
without  conviction,  "  to  leave  everything  to 
you." 

"  Nonsense!  As  if  you  weren't  always  doing 
things  for  other  people."  Priscilla  crossed  the 
room  to  lower  the  shade  and  stood  transfixed. 
"  I  thought  Dick  said  Elaine  was  sick." 


232    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  She  hasn't  been  out  of  bed  to-day.  You 
know  she's  rather  subject  to  sick  attacks,"  ex- 
plained Peggy.  "  But  they  don't  last  more 
than  a  day  or  two." 

Priscilla's  laugh  was  rather  disagreeable. 
"  It  hasn't  lasted  as  long  as  that,"  she  replied. 
"  She's  up  and  dressed.  Just  passed  the  window. 
Rather  a  remarkable  recovery,  isn't  it?  " 

Peggy  did  not  speak. 

"  Elaine  isn't  particularly  fond  of  house- 
work, I  imagine,"  continued  Priscilla,  lowering 
the  shade,  and  turning  back  to  the  waiting 
dishes.  "  But  I'd  rather  say  right  out  I  didn't 
want  to  help,  than  make  a  pretence  of  being 
sick.  And  especially  after  all  you've  done  for 
her,  Peggy." 

Peggy  was  in  a  mood  to  be  an  easy  prey  to 
suspicion.  Tired,  half  sick,  with  over-strained 
nerves,  and  throbbing  temples,  it  was  not 
strange  that  for  a  moment  she  half  believed 
that  Elaine's  plea  of  illness  was  only  an  excuse 
for  evading  work  she  did  not  like.  In  spite  of 
Peggy's  lessons,  Elaine  still  found  house- 
keeping duties  very  irksome.  In  a  moment, 
however,  Peggy's  sense  of  fairness  revolted 


A  DISAGREEMENT  233 

against  the  assumption,  which  for  the  moment 
she  had  accepted  as  proved. 

"  Perhaps  she  felt  better,  all  at  once.  People 
often  do,  after  being  sick  all  day." 

"  She  trotted  by  the  window  as  if  she'd  never 
felt  better  in  all  her  life,"  remarked  Priscilla 
tartly. 

"  Maybe  her  mother  exaggerated  a  little," 
persisted  Peggy.  "  Or  perhaps  Dick  didn't 
quite  understand." 

"  O,  of  course,  if  you're  bound  to  find  excuses 
for  her,  Peggy,  you  can  do  it.  You  can  excuse 
anything  in  anybody,  if  you  simply  won't 
believe  what  you  see  with  your  own  eyes."  The 
dishes  in  the  pan  clicked  ominously,  as  Priscilla 
splashed  with  energy. 

Peggy  was  saved  the  necessity  of  replying 
by  the  sudden  opening  of  the  back  door.  A  tall, 
ungainly  figure  appeared  on  the  threshold  and 
the  girls  united  in  a  rapturous  shriek.  "  Sally!  " 

Sally  came  in  and  removed  her  coat.  Her 
manner  was  dejected,  and  with  a  pang  of 
conscience  Peggy  recalled  the  melancholy  reason 
for  her  absence,  as  well  as  for  her  return. 
With  a  determined  effort  to  keep  her  own  relief 


234    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

out  of  her  voice,  she  suggested  sympathetically 
"  Your  uncle,  I  suppose  - 

"  My  step-uncle,  Miss  Peggy.  He's  better 
a'ready,  and  quarrelling  with  his  victuals. 
Doctor  thinks  he'll  be  out  o'  bed  by  the  first  o' 
the  week.  It  might  have  been  such  a  good 
fun'rel,  too,"  added  Sally,  with  evident  dis- 
approval of  the  ill-timed  recovery.  "  All  the 
Lester  County  folks  was  down,  and  my  aunt's 
sister  from  West  Virginia.  Stands  to  reason 
she  can't  pick  up  and  run  again  very  soon. 
Like  enough  when  he's  laid  away  at  last  there 
won't  be  a  baker's  dozen,  outside  the  neighbors. 
I'll  finish  them  dishes,  Miss  Priscilla.  This 
is  a  disappointing  world  sure  enough." 

Peggy  went  to  bed  at  eight  o'clock  and  knew 
nothing  more  till  fifteen  minutes  of  breakfast 
time.  Her  head  was  clear,  and  the  knowledge 
that  Sally  was  in  the  kitchen  made  her  light 
of  heart,  though  her  pallor  told  that  she  was 
still  in  arrears,  as  far  as  sleep  was  concerned. 
As  she  dressed  with  speed,  the  discovery  Pris- 
cilla had  announced  the  evening  before  came 
back  to  her,  but  she  was  no  longer  disposed  to 
attach  much  importance  to  it. 


A  DISAGREEMENT  235 

"  Some  little  mistake,  of  course,  or  else  Elaine 
did  feel  better  all  at  once.  I'm  sure  she  wouldn't 
have  tried  to  fib  out  of  helping  me  when  I 
wanted  her."  Peggy  was  herself  again,  and 
nothing  could  have  persuaded  her  to  accept 
Sally's  dictum  that  it  was  a  disappointing 
world. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A   PATHETIC    STORY 

"  I'VE  got  three  tickets.  We  students  always 
have  two,  you  know,  and  a  girl  who  didn't 
want  to  invite  anybody  gave  me  her  extra 
one.  Amy  doesn't  care  for  concerts,  and 
Ruth  is  going  somewhere  with  Graham.  So 
I  thought  —  " 

Priscilla  paused  impressively.  She  was  about 
to  do  an  magnanimous  thing,  and  she  meant 
to  get  full  credit. 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you'd  like  to  have  me 
invite  Elaine.  Didn't  you  say  she  was  fond  of 
music?  " 

Peggy  beamed.  "  She  adores  it.  And  it's 
lovely  of  you  to  ask  her.  Those  conservatory 
concerts  are  always  splendid." 

"  They  get  the  best  talent  that's  to  be  had," 
said  Priscilla.  "  They  go  on  the  principle  that 
hearing  good  music  is  part  of  our  education." 
Priscilla  was  studying  the  violin  in  addition 
to  her  work  in  the  high-school,  and  though. 

236 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  237 

possessed  of  no  extraordinary  talent,  was  at 
least  learning  a  better  appreciation  of  the  work 
of  the  great  artists  to  whom  she  listened  at 
frequent  intervals. 

The  two  girls  were  on  their  way  home  from 
school.  As  they  reached  the  Marshall's  cot- 
tage, Peggy  turned  in  as  a  matter  of  course, 
and  Priscilla  followed,  feeling  highly  virtuous. 
She  was  not  a  girl  who  did  things  by  halves, 
and  her  manner  as  she  tendered  her  invitation 
was  unusually  sweet  and  winning. 

"  Peggy  and  I  are  going  to  the  Conservatory 
concert  Friday  afternoon,  and  we  want  to  take 
you  with  us.  Powell  will  play,  and  it'll  be  a 
treat." 

"  Why,  it's  ever  so  kind  of  you.  Of  course 
I'd  love  to  go."  A  glimmer  of  suspicion  flashed 
out  beneath  Elaine's  gratitude.  She  had  learned 
to  accept  Peggy's  kindnesses  at  their  face  value, 
without  looking  for  an  ulterior  motive.  But 
with  Priscilla  it  was  different.  Out  of  Peggy's 
especial  friends  Priscilla  was  the  one,  Elaine 
felt  sure,  who  liked  her  least,  and  her  pleasure 
in  the  invitation  was  lessened  by  her  wonder  as 
to  what  had  called  it  forth. 


238    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Peggy  was  chattering  on  gaily.  "  We'll  go 
early,  so  as  to  watch  the  people  come  in.  I 
think  that's  half  the  fun.  We  sit  so  high  up 
that  I  am  afraid  to  lean  forward  for  fear  of 
falling  down,  I  don't  know  how  many  stories, 
but  I  hold  on  tight,  and  crane  my  neck  so  as 
not  to  miss  anybody." 

"  You  sit  high  up?  "  repeated  Mrs.  Marshall, 
breaking  in  on  her  animated  if  not  literal 
description.  "Is  it  possible  that  the  manage- 
ment does  not  furnish  orchestra  seats  to  the 
students?  " 

"  We  sit  hi  the  second  balcony,"  Priscilla 
replied,  with  a  flash  of  resentment  which  was 
not  allayed  by  Mrs.  Marshall's  manner  of 
receiving  the  announcement. 

"  And  is  there  really  any  danger  of  falling?  " 
Mrs.  Marshall  was  appealing  to  Peggy.  u  I 
have  always  been  accustomed  to  a  box.  Dear 
papa  was  fond  of  music,  but  he  invariably 
secured  a  box,  and  he  was  exceedingly  particu- 
lar about  my  gowns  because  we  were  so  con- 
spicuous. But  the  second  balcony!  Really 
I  don't  know." 

Peggy  hastened  to  allay  the  fears  occasioned 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  239 

by  her  incautious  figure  of  speech,  and  Elaine 
said  hurriedly  and  with  apparent  sincerity,  that 
she  shouldn't  enjoy  a  minute  if  she  sat  in  a 
box.  It  was  perhaps  due  to  an  effort,  con- 
scious or  unconscious,  to  atone  for  her  mother's 
implication,  that  Elaine  blossomed  into  un- 
usual enthusiasm  over  the  proposed  pleasure. 

When  Friday  came  she  was  still  in  a  particu- 
larly appreciative  mood,  and  Priscilla  mentally 
acknowledged  that  she  had  never  liked  the  girl 
so  well.  She  wondered  if  there  was  any  truth 
in  the  theory  that  Peggy  was  always  advancing, 
that  you  were  sure  to  like  people  if  you  tried 
to  be  nice  to  them. 

The  concert  justified  the  girls'  anticipations. 
The  great  hall  was  crowded  with  an  audience 
of  music  lovers,  and  the  artist  of  the  occasion 
was  called  back  again  and  again,  to  bow  her 
acknowledgement  of  the  enthusiastic  applause. 
Elaine's  sorrowful  expression  when  the  last 
number  on  the  program  was  reached,  was  more 
convincing  than  even  her  lament,  "  O,  dear! 
It  can't  be  over  already." 

"  It's  almost  five  o'clock.  But  cheer  up! 
There'll  be  another."  Priscilla's  smile  was 


24:     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

thoroughly  friendly.  Hitherto  she  had  always 
thought  of  Elaine  as  Peggy's  especial  property, 
and  as  an  illustration  of  Peggy's  recognized 
propensity  for  liking  all  sorts  of  people.  Now 
as  her  thoughts  ran  ahead  to  the  concert  two 
weeks  away,  she  wondered  if  by  any  chance  she 
could  secure  a  ticket  for  Elaine. 

The  great  throng  moved  out  slowly.  Bits 
of  musical  criticism  came  to  the  girls'  ears. 
The  woman  afraid  of  fire  made  her  voice  heard 
as  usual,  and  impressively  asked  what  chance 
they  would  have  if  the  building  were  burning. 
Someone  else  called  her  attention  to  the  emer- 
gency exits,  and  then  Peggy  lost  the  thread  of 
the  argument  in  her  interest  in  a  new  voice 
which  declared,  "  I  know  it's  the  girl.  I 
couldn't  be  mistaken." 

The  voice  was  low  but  curiously  intense. 
Something  in  its  breathless  emotion  gripped 
the  attention.  Peggy  turned  her  head,  and 
found  that  Priscflla  had  done  the  same.  The 
woman  who  had  spoken  was  just  behind  them. 
She  and  her  companion  were  1«ming  toward 
each  other  with  an  air  of  suppressed  excitement 
which  impressed  Peggy  unpleasantly,  and  it 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  241 

did  not  relieve  her  inexplicable  sense  of  appre- 
hension to  discover  that  the  eyes  of  the  two 
were  fixed  upon  Elaine's  slender  figure,  a  little 
in  advance. 

"  Just  wait  till  she  turns,"  said  the  woman 
who  had  spoken  before,  and  at  that  moment 
Elaine  glanced  back,  as  if  to  locate  her  com- 
panions in  the  slow-moving  crowd.  The  smile 
on  her  face  died  away,  as  she  met  the  fixed 
stare  of  two  pairs  of  observant  eyes. 

"  There! "  Triumph  was  evident  in  the 
woman's  tone.  "  It  is  the  girl,  just  as  I  said. 
I  should  know  her  among  a  thousand." 

With  loyalty  as  intuitive  as  her  breathing 
Peggy  pushed  forward,  intending  to  place  her- 
self at  Elaine's  side.  Though  the  woman  who 
had  professed  to  recognize  her  had  said  nothing 
to  her  discredit  there  was  something  beneath 
her  triumphant  tone  which  suggested  an  un- 
pleasant reason  for  satisfaction  in  the  discovery. 
But  to  overtake  Elaine  seemed  impossible. 
Her  departure  suggested  a  panic-stricken  flight. 
Before  her  companions  had  reached  the  top 
of  the  long  flight  of  stairs  she  had  disap- 
peared. 


242    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  she's  gone?  "  Pris- 
cilla,  pushing  after  Peggy,  asked  the  question 
with  an  intonation  whose  meaning  was  unmis- 
takable. Peggy,  looking  up,  saw  her  own 
questioning  exaggerated  into  suspicion  on  the 
face  of  the  other. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  She  must  have  fairly  trampled  people 
underfoot.  Say,  Peggy,  I  suppose  you  heard?  " 

'  Ye-es."  It  was  a  most  reluctant  affirma- 
tive, but  Priscilla  was  too  absorbed  in  her  own 
thoughts  to  notice. 

"  It  wouldn't  mean  anything  by  itself. 
But  when  she  sees  she's  recognized,  and  runs 
away,  it  looks  funny.  I  wonder  if  she'll  wait 
for  us?  " 

In  the  throng  at  the  door  of  the  concert  hall, 
the  girls  could  discover  no  trace  of  Elaine. 
Automobiles  glided  to  the  curb  as  their  numbers 
were  called  through  a  megaphone,  and  the 
people  who  block  the  sidewalks  on  such  oc- 
casions, stood  in  chattering  groups,  unmind- 
ful of  the  desperate  attempts  others  were  mak- 
ing to  pass  them.  But  at  length  the  crowd 
thinned  sufficiently  for  the  two  girls  to  assure 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  243 

themselves  on  the  point  in  question.  They 
looked  at  each  other,  and  for  a  moment  did 
not  speak. 

"Well!"  Priscilla's  tone  was  dry.  "She 
isn't  here." 

"  No,"  Peggy  was  driven  to  confess,  "  she's 
not  here." 

"  We  might  as  well  go  home.  I  don't  know 
what  you  think  about  it,  Peggy  Raymond,  but 
it  looks  pretty  queer  to  me." 

Peggy  was  not  communicative.  In  silence 
they  walked  to  the  cars  two  blocks  away, 
and  on  the  corner  they  found  Elaine.  It  was 
not  the  enthusiastic  Elaine  of  the  concert, 
not  the  self-sufficient  Elaine,  familiar  ever 
since  her  arrival  on  the  Terrace.  She  looked 
pale  and  wan  and  harassed. 

For  her  extraordinary  flight  Elaine  offered 
no  explanation.  "  I  thought  I'd  wait  for  you 
here,"  she  said  faintly. 

"  We  didn't  know  that.  We've  been  waiting 
for  you  there."  Priscilla's  tone  indicated  that 
she  expected  something  more,  but  apparently 
Elaine  did  not  realize  the  need  either  of  ex- 
planation or  apology.  But  as  they  climbed  up 


244    THE  GIRLS  .OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

into  the  car,  she  looked  so  faint  and  frail  that 
without  thinking,  Peggy  took  her  arm  to  steady 
her.  At  the  touch  Elaine  lifted  her  eyes  with 
a  grateful  look  which  had  the  effect  of  sweeping 
away  all  Peggy's  suspicions,  like  a  spring 
freshet.  Peggy  made  no  pretence  to  being 
logical.  All  she  asserted  was  that  sometimes 
she  "  just  knew  things." 

The  ride  to  Friendly  Terrace  was  silent  and 
constrained.  At  Priscilla's  door  Elaine  faltered 
her  thanks  for  a  pleasant  afternoon  and  Pris- 
cilla  replied  stiffly.  As  she  went  up  the  walk, 
Elaine  turned  to  Peggy  with  unmistakable 
relief. 

"  Is  it  too  late  for  me  to  go  home  with  you? 
There's  something  I  want  to  tell  you  where 
nobody '11  hear." 

"  There's  all  kinds  of  time.  Father  doesn't 
get  home  to-night  till  quarter  of  seven."  Peggy 
led  the  way  into  the  house,  evaded  a  categorical 
reply  to  her  mother's  smiling  inquiries  if  they 
had  had  a  pleasant  time,  and  conducted  Elaine 
to  her  room,  where  she  pulled  forward  the 
wicker  rocker. 

"  That's  the  most  easy-going  chair  in  the 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  245 

whole  room.  Sit  down  and  be  comforta- 
ble. But,  first,  take  off  your  coat.  It's  so 
warm." 

Elaine  obeyed  automatically.  "  Peggy,"  she 
said  as  she  took  her  seat,  "  you  saw  that  woman 
looking  at  me  so  hard  to-day?  " 

"  Yes,"  Peggy  acknowledged,  "  I  saw  her." 

"  And  she  said  something,  didn't  she,  to 
the  woman  with  her?  " 

"  She  said  she'd  know  you  among  a  thousand, 
that's  all.  And  see  here,  Elaine.  Don't  tell 
me  anything  you  don't  want  to,  just  because 
of  that." 

Elaine  put  her  hands  to  her  head,  with  a 
gesture  which  wrung  Peggy's  heart.  "  But  I 
do  want  to  tell.  I've  got  to  tell  somebody. 
Sometimes  —  "  her  voice  rose  in  a  little  cry  - 
"  Sometimes  I've  thought  I'd  go  crazy,  keeping 
it  to  myself." 

Peggy  pulled  up  a  chair  and  sat  down. 
She  was  used  to  confidences.  People  of  the 
stamp  of  Peggy  Raymond  must  expect  to  be 
receptacles  for  the  various  woes  of  all  sorts 
and  conditions  of  people.  But  she  realized  that 
what  Elaine  had  to  tell  was  something  out  of 


246    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

the  ordinary,  and  lost  a  fraction  of  her  usual 
bright  color. 

"  I  knew  those  women,"  Elaine  explained, 
twisting  her  interlaced  fingers.  "  But  they 
didn't  know  me.  They  thought  I  was  my  sister." 

"  I  didn't  know  you  had  a  sister!  "  Surprise 
was  responsible  for  Peggy's  exclamation. 

"  I'm  several  years  younger  than  Grace, 
but  there's  a  strong  resemblance.  It  was  her 
picture  you  found  that  day,  Peggy." 

"  And  she  died.  How  dreadful  it  must  have 
been  — "  Peggy's  sympathetic  voice  ceased 
suddenly,  as  Elaine's  look  of  agitation  told  her 
that  she  had  guessed  wrong.  "  She's  not  dead," 
Elaine  said  breathlessly.  "  She's  living,  and 
what's  more,  she's  living  here,  Peggy." 

"  Here?  " 

"  On  Friendly  Terrace." 

Peggy  had  been  prepared  for  unusual  dis- 
closures, but  this  was  more  than  she  had  bar- 
gained for. .  It  was  a  good  half  minute  before 
she  could  answer  except  by  an  incredulous 
stare. 

"  On  Friendly  Terrace?    In  the  next  house?  " 

"  Yes." 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  247 

"  You  don't  mean  that  she's  been  living  there 
ever  since  you  came?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  don't  see  —  why,  I  never  heard  of  such 
a  thing."  But  light  was  pouring  in  on  Peggy. 
A  number  of  matters  that  had  puzzled  her  and 
even  aroused  her  suspicion,  suddenly  became 
intelligible  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  next- 
door  cottage  housed  two  girls  instead  of  one. 
"  But  why  -  "  she  began  breathlessly,  and  then 
checked  herself. 

"  That's  what  I  wanted  to  tell  you,  Peggy. 
It  wasn't  a  year  ago  that  it  all  happened,  and 
it  seems  the  bigger  half  of  my  life.  Grace  was 
a  Junior  in  college.  It  was  hard  to  keep  on 
with  her  course,  after  father  died,  but  she 
wanted  to  finish.  She  was  engaged  to  a  young 
lawyer,  Carlton  Ross  his  name  was,  and  every- 
body thought  he  was  such  a  nice  fellow  and 
that  Grace  was  so  fortunate." 

Elaine's  hands  were  clasping  and  unclasping 
convulsively,  as  she  told  her  story.  Peggy  laid 
her  warm  brown  hand  over  the  trembling 
fingers,  and  there  was  a  world  of  friendly 
comfort  in  its  clasp. 


248    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  One  Saturday  Grace  went  down  town  to  do 
a  little  shopping,  and  she  stopped  at  a  jeweller's 
and  asked  to  look  at  some  diamond  brooches. 
Some  people  could  never  understand  why  she 
did  it,  for,  of  course,  she  couldn't  have  bought 
diamonds  any  more  than  she  could  have  bought 
the  moon.  I  suppose  it  was  rather  silly,  but 
surely  it  isn't  unheard  of,  Peggy,  for  people 
to  examine  things  they  can't  afford  to  buy. 
Anyway  that  was  what  Grace  did.  And  when 
she  said  she  didn't  care  to  buy,  and  started  to  go 
out,  the  clerk  stopped  her  and  said  he  begged 
her  pardon  but  there  was  a  brooch  missing." 

Peggy  uttered  a  horrified  exclamation. 

"  Yes,  but  that  was  only  the  beginning. 
Grace  went  back,  and  they  looked  all  over  the 
counter,  and  the  floor-walker  came  up,  and 
things  began  to  be  dreadful.  And  then  they 
said  that  she  would  have  to  be  searched. 
Only  think!  Grace  was  almost  ready  to  faint, 
she  was  so  frightened.  It  was  like  a  terrible 
dream,  she  said.  It  didn't  seem  as  if  it  could 
be  such  things  were  really  happening  to  her. 
And  then  she  thought  of  Carlton,  and  begged 
them  to  telephone  for  him,  and  he  came." 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  249 

Peggy  heaved  a  sigh  of  relief. 

"  0,  but  that  was  the  worst  of  all.  For  when 
he  heard  about  it,  he  asked  if  he  might  speak 
to  her  alone,  and  then  he  begged  her  to  confess. 
Yes,  Peggy,  he  thought  she  stole  it.  You  see 
he  knew  that  she  hadn't  any  money  for  buying 
diamonds,  and  the  only  way  he  could  explain 
what  she  had  done  was  to  take  it  for  granted 
that  she  was  a  thief.  And  then  Grace  lost 
her  courage.  If  Carlton  didn't  believe  in  her, 
nobody  would.  She  screamed  out  that  she 
wished  she  were  dead,  and  they  heard  it  and 
thought  it  proved  that  she  was  guilty." 

Sympathetic  Peggy  was  in  tears  by  now, 
but  Elaine's  eyes  were  bright  and  dry.  The 
recital  of  her  sister's  wrongs  had  brought 
them  before  her  vividly,  and  her  voice  was 
bitter  as  she  continued. 

"  You  can't  have  any  idea  of  what  we  went 
through  for  nearly  two  days.  They  couldn't 
find  the  brooch  and  Grace  was  arrested.  She 
wouldn't  let  Carlton  do  anything  for  her, 
and  an  old  friend  of  papa's  went  her  bail. 
There  were  columns  about  it  in  the  papers,  and 
Grace's  picture  and  all  about  papa,  and  then 


250    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

all  at  once  it  proved  to  be  a  mistake.  The 
brooch  had  been  sent  to  some  customer,  along 
with  several  others  for  inspection,  and  there  was 
some  blunder  about  returning  it.  They  sent 
it  back  finally,  and  Grace  was  cleared  of  all 
suspicion,  but  her  life  was  ruined." 

Peggy  protested.  "  Ruined!  Why  she  was 
innocent." 

"  O,  you  don't  know,  Peggy.  First  there 
was  Carlton,  and,  of  course,  Grace  broke  her 
engagement  the  instant  she  found  he  didn't 
believe  in  her.  But  he  wasn't  the  only  one. 
Our  friends  were  so  sorry  for  us,  but  we  didn't 
want  them  to  be  sorry.  We  wanted  them  to  be 
angry  and  say  it  was  an  outrage,  as  if  they 
meant  it.  They  made  excuses  for  Grace.  Said 
she'd  been  used  to  having  so  much  and  that 
since  papa's  death  things  had  been  so  different, 
and  they  pitied  mamma  and  me  because  of  our 
disgrace.  When  I  came  here  to  Friendly  Ter- 
race I  hated  everybody  in  the  world.  I  thought 
I  never  would  make  a  friend  again  as  long  as'I 
lived.  And  I'd  have  kept  my  word,  I  guess, 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  you,  Peggy." 

"  You  poor  darling!  "     Peggy's  arm  slipped 


A  PATHETIC  STORY  251 

around  Elaine's  shoulder,  and  tightened  in  a 
comforting  hug.  But  her  thoughts  were  busy 
still  with  the  account  of  the  tragedy  to  which 
she  had  just  listened.  "  How  long  is  your 
sister  going  to  stay  hidden  away?  "  she  de- 
manded abruptly. 

Elaine  sighed.  "  As  long  as  she  lives,  I 
guess.  She  doesn't  feel  as  if  she  could  face 
people." 

"  I  don't  know  why.  It's  the  ones  who  made 
the  mistake  who  ought  to  hang  their  heads. 
Grace  hasn't  done  anything  to  be  ashamed 
of." 

"  I  suppose  we  could  have  sued  the  firm," 
Elaine  said  wearily.  "  Mamma's  lawyer  urged 
it.  But  Grace,  and  all  of  us,  for  that  matter, 
felt  that  we'd  gone  through  all  we  could  bear, 
and  that  any  more  publicity  would  only  make 
things  worse.  Of  course  Grace  never  left  the 
house  in  daylight,  but  whenever  mamma  and 
I  went  out  we  were  stared  at  as  if  we'd 
been  curiosities,  and  we  could  see  people  talk- 
ing about  us,  and  telling  the  whole  story  over 
again.  It  was  such  a  comfort  to  come  here 
where  nobody  knows.  At  least  mamma  and 


252    THE  GERLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

I  felt  so,  but  poor  Grace  couldn't  get  her 
courage  up  to  let  herself  be  seen  even  here." 

Peggy  frowned  reflectively.  "  I  don't  see 
how  she  manages  to  keep  hidden  that  way." 

"  It  isn't  as  hard  as  you  might  suppose. 
You  notice  that  we  always  keep  both  doors 
locked,  and  the  shades  are  drawn  a  good  deal. 
Grace  helps  in  the  housework,  and  comes  down 
to  her  meals,  just  as  we  do.  The  afternoon  she 
generally  spends  upstairs,  especially  since  you 
girls  have  got  in  the  way  of  dropping  in  after 
school.  And  she  likes  you,  Peggy.  She  sits 
in  a  little  room  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  and 
she  can  hear  nearly  everything  that  is  said. 
It's  funny,  when  you  didn't  even  know  there 
was  such  a  person,  but  she  feels  real  well 
acquainted  with  you." 

"  0!  "  cried  Peggy,  another  mystery  becoming 
luminous,  by  virtue  of  this  explanation.  "I 
wonder  if  it  wasn't  Grace  who  telephoned 
me  —  " 

"  On  Christmas  night?  Yes.  We'd  been 
talking  about  you  all  day,  and  saying  what  a 
dear  you  were,  and  admiring  the  little  tree, 
and  along  about  bed-time,  Grace  said  all  at 


A  PATHETIC  ST.ORY  253 

once,  '  I  never  expected  to  wish  anybody  a 
happy  new  year  again,  but  I'm  going  to  wish 
one  to  Peggy  Raymond.'  And  she  marched 
over  to  the  telephone,  while  mamma  and  I 
sat  there  too  surprised  to  say  a  word." 

Peggy  pressed  her  friend's  hand,  too  touched 
for  the  moment  to  speak.  This  innocent 
girl,  hiding  from  view  like  a  criminal,  held 
prisoner  by  her  own  morbid  shrinking,  would 
have  impressed  a  less  sympathetic  imagina- 
tion than  Peggy's,  as  a  pathetic  figure.  "  And 
she  never  goes  out  of  doors,"  she  said,  following 
out  her  line  of  thought. 

"  Sometimes  she  slips  out  on  the  porch  when 
it  is  very  late.  Amy  saw  her  there  last  Hal- 
loween." 

"  To  be  sure.  I  think  Amy  always  flattered 
herself  that  she  really  saw  a  ghost  that  night." 
It  occurred  to  Peggy  as  the  words  left  her  lips, 
that  out  of  all  of  Amy's  superstitious  fancies, 
this  was  nearest  the  truth.  "  I  wish,"  she 
went  on  slowly,  "  that  she'd  begin  to  show 
herself,  and  see  people.  It's  a  dreadful  way  to 
live,  dreadful!  Don't  you  think  she'd  be 
willing  to  see  me?  You  said  that  she  liked  me." 


254    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Elaine's  alarm  at  the  mere  suggestion  im- 
pressed Peggy,  more  than  anything  yet  said, 
with  the  seriousness  of  the  situation.  "  If 
she  knew  I'd  told  you  all  this,  she'd  never 
forgive  me  in  the  wide  world,"  declared  Elaine 
paling  at  the  thought.  "  And  as  for  seeing 
you!  No,  Peggy!  But  you  can't  think  what  a 
comfort  it  is  that  you  know." 

"  I'm  glad,"  said  Peggy,  kissing  her.  But,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  she  was  far  from  being  satis- 
fied. Anybody  could  listen  to  another's  troubles. 
Peggy  wanted  to  be  something  more  than  a 
sympathetic  confidante,  but  it  seemed  that 
for  the  present  she  must  content  herself  with 
this  passive  form  of  helpfulness. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

A   BELATED   INVITATION 

PRISCILLA'S  curiosity  grew  over  night.  When 
she  waked  Saturday  morning,  she  found  her- 
self unable  to  think  of  anything  but  the  singular 
episode  of  the  preceding  afternoon.  She  re- 
called the  absorbed  faces  of  the  women  who 
had  watched  Elaine,  the  suppressed  eagerness 
of  their  triumph,  when  she  turned  about,  and 
lastly  Elaine's  incomprehensible  panic  over 
finding  herself  observed.  Priscilla  racked  her 
brains  for  a  possible  explanation,  but  her  imagi- 
nation was  unequal  to  suggesting  any  that  was 
creditable  to  Peggy's  next-door  neighbor. 

It  was  not  long  after  breakfast  when  she 
presented  herself  at  Peggy's  door  hi  the  hopes 
that  Peggy  might  be  able  to  throw  light  on 
the  situation.  Peggy  was  doing  the  chamber 
work  on  the  second  floor,  and  Priscilla  was 
glad  to  assist  in  the  ceremony  of  bed-making, 
because  of  the  opportunity  this  afforded  for  an 
uninterrupted  discussion  of  the  mystery. 

255 


256    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  want  to  talk  with  you  about  yesterday," 
she  said  in  the  carefully  lowered  voice  which 
seemed  appropriate  to  the  situation,  though,  as 
a  matter  of  fact,  she  might  have  shouted 
without  attracting  anybody's  attention.  "  I've 
thought  about  it  all  night." 

"  Me,  too!  "  Peggy's  tone  was  enthusiastic. 
"  Especially  that  andante  movement." 

"  O,  Peggy! "  Priscilla  twitched  a  sheet 
with  an  energy  that  pulled  it  away  from  the 
foot  of  the  mattress,  and  sent  Peggy  hurry- 
ing to  repair  damages.  "  What  nonsense! 
As  though  I  was  thinking  of  andante  move- 
ments, or  any  other  kind.  I  mean  about 
Elaine." 

"  Wasn't  it  nice  to  see  how  she  enjoyed  it? 
She  really  knows  a  lot  about  music,  and  the 
more  you  know,  the  better  you  appreciate  it, 
especially  classical  music."  Peggy  was  clearly 
talking  against  time,  advancing  her  by  no  means 
original  views  with  an  earnestness  which  was 
far  beyond  their  deserts.  Priscilla  was  con- 
scious of  a  feeling  of  irritation. 

"  She  did  seem  to  enjoy  the  music,  I'll 
admit.  But  apparently  she  doesn't  enjoy 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  257 

meeting  old  acquaintances.  Quite  the  oppo- 
site." 

"  She  didn't  meet  any  old  acquaintances," 
said  Peggy  quietly. 

"  Those  women  thought  they  knew  her,  even 
before  she  turned  around,  and  after  that  they 
were  sure." 

"  They  might  have  been  mistaken  for  all 
that."  Peggy  smoothed  the  comforter  anx- 
iously, as  if  to  have  it  he  without  a  wrinkle  was 
the  most  important  matter  under  consideration. 

"  If  they  were  mistaken,  why  did  Elaine 
run?  The  suspicious  thing  was  her  being 
frightened  to  death,  the  minute  she  found  any- 
body noticing  her.  If  she  hadn't  done  any- 
thing to  be  ashamed  of  —  " 

Peggy  felt  the  time  had  come  to  discard 
the  policy  of  evasion.  She  straightened  her- 
self, looking  across  the  billowing  bed-clothes, 
straight  into  her  friend's  eyes.  "  Elaine  hasn't 
any  reason  to  be  ashamed  of  anything  she  has 
done." 

"  What  is  the  matter,  then  ?  " 

"  There's  nothing  I  can  tell,  Priscilla." 

"  Nothing  you  will  tell,  you  mean.    If  you 


258    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

know  about  it,  it  wouldn't  be  any  more  than 
friendly  to  explain." 

"  There's  nothing  I  can  tell,"  repeated  Peggy 
firmly.  Priscilla  found  the  reiteration  irri- 
tating. 

"  I  suppose  she's  confided  everything  to  you, 
and  expects  that  we'll  take  your  word  for  her. 
Well,  I  won't,  for  one.  We  don't  know  any- 
thing about  her,  except  that  she  can  be  mighty 
disagreeable  when  she  tries,  and  yesterday 
capped  the  climax.  I  sha'n't  have  anything 
more  to  do  with  her  till  I  know  what  it  all 
meant." 

"  That's  for  you  to  decide."  Peggy's  tone 
was  decidedly  cool.  Her  hands  trembled  as 
she  twitched  the  coverlets  into  place.  The 
intensity  of  her  sympathy,  kindled  by  Elaine's 
pitiful  story,  perhaps  rendered  her  incapable 
of  doing  full  justice  to  Priscilla.  Unfortunately 
her  manner  fired  the  jealous  resentment  which 
was  Priscilla's  greatest  weakness. 

"  Of  course  if  you're  going  to  take  sides 
with  her,  Peggy  Raymond,  against  your  best 
friends,  if  you're  going  to  throw  me  over  just 
because  —  " 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  259 

"  How  silly!  "  snapped  Peggy.  "  O,  please, 
Priscilla,  don't  pull  those  bed-clothes  up  from 
the  foot  again." 

Priscilla's  face  was  white.  "  I  see  I'm  in 
the  way.  That  girl  has  spoiled  our  friendship. 
You've  never  been  the  same,  Peggy,  since 
Elaine  Marshall  moved  to  Friendly  Terrace." 

"  How  silly! "  exploded  Peggy,  angered  by 
the  injustice  of  the  charge  and  momentarily 
abandoning  her  usual  tactful  methods.  "  As 
if  anybody  but  our  two  selves  could  spoil 
our  friendship."  She  watched  Priscilla's  dig- 
nified withdrawal  without  protest.  She  was 
tired  of  these  scenes,  she  told  herself.  It  was 
time  Priscilla  had  a  good  lesson.  She  punched 
a  pillow  into  place  with  a  vehemence  imply- 
ing that  she  held  it  solely  responsible  for  all 
that  had  occurred. 

As  for  Priscilla  she  closed  the  door  behind 
her  with  the  feeling  that  she  had  burned  her 
bridges,  and  that  no  retreat  was  possible. 
All  was  over.  She  had  been  very  fond  of 
Peggy,  but  Peggy's  fashion  of  losing  her  head 
over  every  new  girl  who  came  to  the  Terrace 
was  bound  to  grow  tiresome.  Peggy  had 


260    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

clearly  indicated  on  which  side  her  sympathies 
lay.  She  had  chosen  Elaine  in  preference  to 
the  friend  of  many  years  standing.  By  the 
time  Priscilla  was  at  her  own  door  she  was 
ready  to  believe  that  she  had  been  most  un- 
fairly treated. 

Priscilla  was  not  the  sort  of  girl  to  rest 
quietly  under  a  grievance.  Her  first  impulse 
was  to  assert  herself,  to  prove  to  all  observers 
how  little  she  cared.  Accordingly  she  burst 
in  upon  her  mother  with  the  request,  "  May  I 
have  some  of  the  girls  to  luncheon  next  Satur- 
day, mother?  I  don't  mean  two  or  three; 
I'd  like  a  dozen  or  so,  a  real  party  —  " 

"  Let  me  see."  Mrs.  Combs  was  accustomed 
to  these  impulsive  outbreaks  on  Priscilla' s 
part.  "  What  day  is  Saturday?  " 

"  The  thirteenth." 

"  I  have  an  invitation  to  luncheon  myself 
for  that  day;  still  you  could  manage  without 
me,  I  dare  say." 

"  0,  yes.  I  don't  want  anything  elaborate, 
only  nice,  you  know.  And  Susan's  cousin 
can  come  to  wait  on  the  table.  She  does  it 
very  nicely,  and  doesn't  charge  much  of  any- 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  261 

thing."  Priscilla  hurried  to  her  writing  desk, 
and  pulled  out  her  note  paper.  A  party  with- 
out Peggy!  Could  there  be  a  better  way  of 
asserting  herself  and  proving  how  little  she 
was  moved  by  the  loss  of  Peggy's  friendship. 
She  dashed  off  the  invitations  as  hastily  as  if 
she  were  afraid  to  give  herself  time  for  reflec- 
tion. 

Peggy  was  not  long  in  hearing  of  Priscilla's 
luncheon  party,  and  the  non-appearance  of  her 
invitation  was  a  secret  she  kept  to  herself. 
That  she  was  hurt,  goes  without  saying.  The 
two  girls  had  been  friends  for  years,  and,  up 
to  this  tune,  Peggy's  ground  of  complaint  had 
been  the  excess  of  the  other's  affection,  rather 
than  any  lack.  It  was  hard  to  believe  that 
Priscilla  was  planning  so  pronounced  a  slight. 
She  tried  to  make  herself  believe  that  there 
was  some  mistake,  but  the  passing  days  brought 
the  conviction  that  the  omission  was  deliberate, 
and  that  the  chief  purpose  of  the  little  festivity 
was  her  open  humiliation. 

This  would  have  been  bad  enough,  but,  to 
make  matters  worse,  Peggy's  conscience  took 
a  hand.  An  uncompromising  monitor  was  this 


262    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

same  conscience,  sternly  denying  Peggy  the 
luxury  of  self-pity,  and  arraigning  her  in  a 
fashion  little  short  of  merciless.  Ardently 
it  pleaded  Priscilla's  cause.  Her  suspicions  of 
Elaine  were  not  without  foundation.  Peggy 
herself  might  have  shared  them  had  it  not 
been  for  the  extraordinary  story  to  which  she 
had  listened.  In  any  case,  she  had  failed  to 
show  the  patience  due  one  friend  from  another. 
She  who  prided  herself  on  her  tact,  had  been 
brusque  and  tactless.  Knowing  poor  Pris- 
cilla's weakness,  she  had  not  been  on  her 
guard.  She  had  lost  her  friend,  and  for  her 
comfort  had  the  reflection  that  it  was,  hi  part 
at  least,  her  own  fault. 

It  was  a  blue  week  for  Peggy,  and  hardly 
better  for  Priscilla.  She  studied  cook  books, 
planned  out  her  menu,  and  tried  to  think  that 
her  low  spirits  were  due  to  dreadful  doubts 
as  to  Susan's  salad  dressing,  while  all  the  time 
she  knew  that  she  missed  Peggy.  She  wanted 
to  ask  her  opinion  as  to  whether  to  order  the 
ices  from  Bird's  or  Connally's,  and  to  consult 
her  about  the  place  cards.  How  loyally  Peggy 
would  have  counselled  and  lent  her  aid.  Many 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  263 

a  time  she  had  helped  some  distracted  hostess 
till  she  had  barely  time  to  fly  home  and  change 
her  dress  before  the  appointed  hour. 

Saturday  was  cloudless,  a  fact  which  Pris- 
cilla  came  near  resenting.  Grey  skies  and  a 
drizzle  of  rain  would  have  harmonized  better 
with  her  mood.  Mrs.  Combs  was  puzzled  by 
the  overcast  face  her  daughter  brought  down 
to  breakfast. 

"  What  is  it,  child?  Anything  wrong  with 
your  plans?  " 

"  No,  I  guess  everything's  all  right,"  Priscilla 
responded  in  the  most  doleful  of  voices. 

"  A  pleasant  hostess  is  the  chief  factor  in 
making  pleasant  guests.  I  advise  smoothing 
a  few  of  those  wrinkles  out  of  your  forehead 
when  you  attend  to  the  rest  of  your  toilet," 
advised  Mrs.  Combs,  smilingly,  and  she  was 
more  puzzled  than  ever  when  Priscilla  received 
her  counsel  with  a  sigh. 

The  luncheon  hour  was  set  for  one  o'clock, 
but  at  half  past  twelve,  the  girls  began  to  arrive, 
formality  never  being  much  in  evidence  on 
Friendly  Terrace. 

"Wonder   if   Peggy's  here  yet,"   Ruth   re- 


264    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

marked,  as  she  stood  before  Priscilla's  mirror, 
giving  her  hair  the  little  caressing  pats  whose 
importance  every  girl  understands. 

"  I  don't  believe  Peggy  is  coming."  It  was 
Blanche  Estabrook  who  made  the  remark, 
apparently  without  realizing  its  importance. 

Ruth  and  Amy  whirled  about.  "  Not  com- 
ing! "  they  exclaimed  in  a  breath. 

"  She  was  on  Elaine  Marshall's  back  steps 
talking  to  her  as  I  came  by.  She  had  on  a  blue 
gingham,  and  that  didn't  look  very  much  like 
going  out  to  luncheon."  Blanche  ran  down 
the  stairs,  leaving  Amy  and  Ruth  gazing 
blankly  at  each  other. 

"  Now  I  think  of  it,  I  believe  something 
has  been  wrong  all  the  week,"  Amy  exclaimed. 
"  Priscilla  has  kept  to  herself,  hasn't  she? 
I  don't  remember  her  walking  home  from  school 
with  Peggy." 

"  I  don't  believe  she  has.  To  think  of  her 
not  asking  Peggy!"  Ruth  gave  a  refractory 
lock  a  jerk  which  threatened  to  undo,  all  in  a 
moment,  the  result  of  much  patient  labor. 
"  I  really  think  I  wouldn't  have  come  myself 
if  I'd  known." 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  265 

Downstairs  the  early  arrivals  were  chatting 
gaily.  Ruth  and  Amy  descended  together  to 
join  them,  feeling  little  in  the  mood  for  festivity 
of  any  sort.  "If  it  had  been  anybody  but 
Peggy,"  Amy  said  angrily  on  the  way  down, 
and  Ruth  replied,  "  Seems  as  if  there  must 
be  some  mistake,  Amy.  Perhaps  she'll  come 
after  all." 

The  doorbell  rang  several  times  before  one 
o'clock,  but  no  breathless  Peggy  appeared, 
apologizing  for  the  delay,  and  smiling  on 
everybody.  Ruth  made  no  effort  to  be  enter- 
taining, but  sat  watching  the  door,  and  making 
absent  replies  to  the  girl  who  sat  next  her. 
Amy,  too,  was  uneasy,  and  curious  little  lulls 
occurred  in  the  conversation,  a  phenomenon 
almost  unheard  of  when  a  group  of  girls  are 
together. 

"  Well,  I  believe  we're  all  here,"  Priscilla 
announced  at  last.  "  Excuse  me  for  a  minute, 
while  I  tell  Susan."  She  rose  and  stepped  into 
the  hall.  In  an  instant  Amy  had  followed, 
closing  the  door  behind  her. 

"  Priscilla! "  Amy's  excited  tones  were 
plainly  audible  in  the  room  where  the  girls 


266    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

sat  waiting,  though  not  her  words.  "  You 
don't  mean  that  these  girls  are  all  the  party." 

"  Certainly  they're  all."  Priscilla  eyed  her 
friend  suspiciously. 

"  But  there  are  thirteen  of  us.  Do  you 
think  I'd  sit  down  thirteen  at  the  table,  and 
on  the  thirteenth  of  the  month,  too."  Amy 
was  very  much  in  earnest.  Her  plump,  good- 
natured  face  was  actually  pale.  "  I  tell  you  I 
wouldn't  think  of  such  a  thing." 

"  I  believe  there  are  thirteen.  Rae  Fletcher 
couldn't  come."  Priscilla  had  recovered  her- 
self in  a  moment.  "  But  that  silly  old  super- 
stition, Amy.  You  don't  mean  — 

"  Yes,  I  do  mean  it.  And  there's  lots  of 
other  people  who  feel  just  the  same  about  it." 
Amy  suddenly  opened  the  door  of  the  front  room. 
"  Come  here,  Ruth,  we  want  you  a  minute." 

Ruth  made  her  appearance,  expecting  to  be 
consulted  on  a  very  different  matter.  Amy's 
tragic  explanation  took  her  by  surprise,  and 
she  smiled  a  little.  *  "  0,  well,"  she  was  be- 
ginning, and  then  checked  herself,  as  the  possi- 
bility of  turning  Amy's  superstitious  terrors 
to  good  account  flashed  upon  her. 


"  '  WHY    NOT   ASK    PEGGY?  '  ' 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  267 

"  I  simply  won't  do  it,"  Amy  was  insisting. 
"  And  on  the  thirteenth  of  the  month,  especially. 
I  wouldn't  have  another  peaceful  minute  all 
the  year.  Ruth,  why  don't  you  say  some- 
thing? " 

"  Why  don't  you  ask  somebody  else  and  make 
fourteen."  Ruth  offered  the  suggestion  non- 
chalantly, though  her  pulse  had  quickened. 

"  There  isn't  anybody  I  can  ask  at  the  very 
last  minute.  Mother's  gone  to  Mrs.  —  ' 

"  Why  not  ask  Peggy?  " 

Amy's  excitement  over  the  fatal  number  of 
Priscilla's  guests  had  made  her  temporarily 
forgetful  of  her  earlier  reason  for  disquiet. 
At  Ruth's  master-stroke,  she  gasped  with 
admiration,  and  promptly  seconded  the  sug- 
gestion. "  O,  yes,  ask  Peggy.  She's  just  the 
one." 

Priscilla  stood  with  downcast  eyes,  and 
breathlessly  her  two  friends  awaited  her  an- 
swer. For  a  moment  the  outcome  was  uncer- 
tain. Priscilla  was  quite  capable  of  resenting 
such  advice,  and  earlier  in  the  week  would 
undoubtedly  have  done  so.  But  if  Peggy's 
conscience  had  been  an  uncomfortable  com- 


268    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

panion,  Priscilla's  had  not  been  less  active, 
and  her  anticipated  triumph  in  having  a  party 
without  Peggy  had  proved  bitter  as  Dead 
Sea  fruit.  When  she  spoke,  her  voice  was 
tremulous,  in  spite  of  her  efforts  to  make  it 
sound  indifferent. 

"  O,  I  don't  believe  Peggy  will  come.  We 
had  a  little  misunderstanding,  you  see." 

"  It  wouldn't  do  any  harm  to  try,"  suggested 
Ruth,  still  painstakingly  matter-of-fact,  while 
Amy  added  with  less  tact,  "If  anybody  would 
do  it,  it's  Peggy.  She's  the  forgivingest  thing." 

Peggy  was  at  the  dinner  table  when  an  agi- 
tated knocking  sounded  at  the  side-door.  A 
breathless  voice  in  the  hall  made  inquiries  of 
Sally.  "  Somebody  to  see  you,  Miss  Peggy," 
was  Sally's  grudging  announcement.  She  dis- 
approved of  people  who  came  at  meal  time. 

To  Peggy's  amazement  it  was  Priscilla 
waiting  in  the  hall,  Priscilla  in  her  best  white 
frock,  and  with  a  pallor  that  was  rather  appeal- 
ing. "  I  know  you  won't  do  it,"  was  her 
opening  remark. 

"  Won't  do  what,  Priscilla?  "  Peggy  was  to 
be  pardoned  if  her  manner  was  a  little  formal. 


A  BELATED  INVITATION  269 

'  There  are  thirteen  of  us,  and  Amy  won't 
sit  down  at  all.  But  it  serves  me  right  if  my 
party's  spoiled,  after  treating  you  that  way." 

Priscilla  gulped.  Peggy's  manner  became 
less  dignified. 

"  You  mean  that  there's  thirteen  and  you 
want  me  for  the  fourteenth." 

"  Of  course  you  won't  come.  But  it  serves 
me  right  to  have  you  say  no."  Priscilla  bit 
her  lip  to  keep  from  crying. 

Peggy  threw  a  hurried  glance  at  the  mirror. 
"  Will  my  hair  do?  I've  got  to  change  my  dress, 
of  course." 

"  You're  going  to  do  it? "  Priscilla  fairly 
screamed.  "  0,  Peggy!  You're  an  angel. 
You  can't  think  how  wretched  I've  been  all 
the  week,  and  how  ashamed.  0,  you  darling! 
Can  you  ever  forgive  me?  " 

They  rushed  upstairs,  their  arms  about  each 
other's  waists.'  "  Don't  make  me  cry,"  pleaded 
Peggy,  gulping  down  a  sob,  "  because  I  really 
mustn't  take  tune  to  wash  my  face,  you  know. 
I'll  wear  my  pink;  I  can  get  into  that  in  a 
shake." 

It  was  only  fifteen  minutes  after  the  hour 


270    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

named  on  the  invitations,  that  Priscilla's 
guests  sat  down  to  a  very  dainty  and  highly 
successful  luncheon.  "  Do  you  know,  I  thought 
you  weren't  coming."  Blanche  Estabrook  said 
to  Peggy  as  they  took  their  seats. 

"  I'm  so  sorry  to  be  late  and  keep  everybody 
waiting,"  Peggy  answered  with  gentle  regret, 
and  that  was  all  most  of  them  knew  about  the 
belated  invitation.  But  there  was  no  doubt 
in  the  minds  of  any  of  the  gay  crowd  that 
fourteen  was  a  peculiarly  lucky  number,  on 
any  day  of  the  month. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

ELAINE   UPSETS   TRADITION 

WINTER  as  a  rule  seems  long  to  people  in 
trouble.  That  year  Elaine  Marshall  found  it 
endless.  The  steady  cold  that  set  in  early  in 
January  seemed  to  her  relentless,  almost  vin- 
dictive. It  was  vain  to  tell  herself  that  spring 
would  return  as  always,  that  the  branches  of 
the  willows  by  the  river  would  become  clouds 
of  misty  green,  that  violets  would  start  in  the 
woods  beyond,  and  the  strips  of  lawn  along 
the  Terrace  would  take  on  the  hue  of  spring. 
Intellectually  she  knew  all  this  to  be  true, 
but  in  her  heart  was  the  hopeless  conviction 
that  this  winter  would  last  forever. 

Elaine  was  having  a  hard  tune,  and  the 
hardest  part  of  it  all  was  that,  however  far 
she  looked  ahead,  she  could  see  no  prospect  of 
relief.  Mrs.  Marshall's  economy  was  of  the 
inconsistent  sort,  noticeable  in  people  who  late 

in  life  have  begun  to  realize  the  value  of  money. 
271 


272    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

She  scrimped  over  the  pennies,  and  then  threw 
away  dollars  for  something  which  even  to 
Elaine's  inexperience  was  plainly  not  indispens- 
able. 

Things  counted  up  incredibly.  There  was 
the  coal  bill,  for  example.  Mrs.  Marshall  had 
said  at  first  that  the  dealer  must  have  made  a 
mistake,  and  then,  that  he  evidently  gave 
short  measure,  and,  finally,  she  had  looked 
at  her  daughter  with  eyes  half-frightened. 
"  We  can't  freeze,  Elaine." 

"  No,  we've  got  to  keep  warm,"  the  girl 
returned,  but  her  voice  was  absent.  She  was 
mentally  calculating  how  far  their  yearly  in- 
come would  stretch  at  this  rate,  and  the  thought 
of  the  weeks  for  which  there  would  be  no  pro- 
vision rushed  over  her  with  sickening  dismay. 

She  took  up  her  embroidery  and  fell  to  work. 
Since  filling  Mrs.  Summerfield  Ely's  first  order 
Elaine  had  received  several  others  from  that 
lady  and  her  friends.  She  had  outgrown  her 
early  foolish  humiliation  over  the  idea  of  doing 
such  work  for  pay.  Mrs.  Ely  treated  her  with 
as  scrupulous  a  courtesy  as  she  would  have 
showed  any  other  girl,  and  gave  her  work  the 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION          273 

praise  which  to  the  conscientious  is  always 
the  best  of  the  rewards  of  toil.  At  the  same 
time,  Elaine's  judgment,  sharpened  by  neces- 
sity, was  grasping  the  fact  that  this  dainty 
work,  well  enough  to  fill  in  the  leisure  minutes, 
was  a  very  poor  dependence  when  the  bread 
and  butter  problem  was  under  consideration. 

Peggy  came  in  upon  her  one  afternoon, 
when  the  dreariness  of  the  grey  winter  sky 
seemed  to  Elaine  an  inadequate  symbol  of  her 
own  sombre  mood.  Peggy's  arrival  was  like 
a  rift  in  the  clouds,  letting  the  blue  shine 
through,  a  real  sunbeam  visitation.  Smiles 
were  not  easy  for  Elaine  these  days,  but  her 
face  did  brighten  noticeably  at  the  sight  of 
Peggy. 

"  You  don't  mind  if  I  keep  on,  I  know," 
she  said  as  Peggy  took  the  nearest  chair. 
"  Mrs.  Laughlin  is  in  a  hurry  for  this." 

"  I  don't  mind  your  keeping  on  as  far  as 
I'm  concerned,"  Peggy  replied,  viewing  her 
narrowly.  "  But  I  do  mind  the  way  you're 
squinting  over  that  embroidery.  What's  the 
matter?  Are  your  eyes  hurting  you?  " 

Elaine  let  the  embroidery  fall,  closing  her 


274    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

eyes,  and  further  protecting  them  by  a  shelter- 
ing hand.  "  Hurt?  "  she  repeated.  "  I  should 
think  so." 

"  What's  the  matter?  " 

"  Too  much  close  work,  I  suppose.  I've 
kept  at  it  till  late  two  or  three  nights  this 
week." 

"  It  isn't  going  to  pay  you,"  warned  Peggy, 
"  to  ruin  your  eyes  for  what  you  can  make 
out  of  embroidery." 

"  It  doesn't  pay  anyway,"  sighed  Elaine. 
"  You  wouldn't  believe  how  many  hours  it 
takes  me  to  earn  ten  dollars."  She  had  given 
herself  as  long  a  recess  as  she  dared,  and  she 
fell  to  work  again,  her  eyes  blinking  and  suffused 
with  moisture  as  if  reluctant  to  reassume  then* 
duties. 

Peggy's  silence  was  unusually  prolonged. 
"  I  had  a  new  experience  this  week,"  she  re- 
marked casually  at  last.  "  I  had  a  job  offered 
me  and  refused  it." 

"  A  job?  "  exclaimed  Elaine  with  interest. 

"  A  job?  "  echoed  Mrs.  Marshall,  her  tone 
indicating  horror.  There  was  a  startling  vul- 
garity about  the  term,  she  reflected.  Young 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION          275 

ladies  might  have  employment,  though  occupa- 
tion was  still  better.  But  to  get  a  job  was  not 
to  be  thought  of.  She  shuddered. 

"  In  my  Uncle  John's  office,"  Peggy  ex- 
plained. "  He's  a  real  estate  dealer,  you  know, 
and  he's  especially  interested  in  the  new  suburb 
they're  opening  up,  Lakeview,  they  call  it. 
He  thinks  there's  quite  an  opening  in  that 
work  for  women,  and  he  painted  the  prospects 
in  such  dazzling  colors  that  I  really  hated  to 
say  no." 

"  Why  did  you  say  it,  then?  "  asked  Elaine, 
her  manner  proving  that  the  inquiry  was  by 
no  means  perfunctory.  Mrs.  Marshall  uttered 
an  exclamation,  apparently  indicating  that  the 
reason  was  self-evident. 

"  0,  I  wouldn't  stop  before  I  finished  high 
school  for  anything.  And  Uncle  John  wants 
somebody  right  away.  If  the  chance  had  come 
after  I  had  graduated  I'd  have  jumped  at  it, 
for  I've  got  to  earn  some  money  before  I  go 
to  college." 

Elaine  folded  her  work  deliberately  and  laid 
it  on  the  table.  She  set  her  thimble  atop, 
with  particular  care  that  it  should  be  exactly 


276    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

in  the  centre  of  the  pile.  Then  she  looked  hard 
at  Peggy. 

"  What  about  me?  "  Elaine  demanded  ab- 
bruptly.  "  Do  you  think  he'd  consider  me?  " 

"Elaine!"  gasped  Mrs.  Marshall.  But 
Peggy,  overjoyed  that  the  fish  had  risen  so 
readily  to  the  bait,  failed  to  notice  the  horri- 
fied protest  of  the  mother's  tone. 

"  Would  you  really  take  such  a  position, 
Elaine?"  she  cried.  "Why,  I  should  think 
you'd  have  the  best  chance  in  the  world. 
And  Uncle  John  would  be  such  a  splendid  per- 
son to  work  for.  He's  a  fine  business  man, 
everybody  says,  but  not  the  petrified  sort. 
He's  kind  and  interested  and  ready  to  make 
allowances  —  " 

"  Elaine!  "  said  Mrs.  Marshall,  breaking  in 
on  Peggy's  eulogy.  This  time  it  was  impossible 
to  ignore  the  tone  in  which  she  spoke  her  daugh- 
ter's name.  It  was  like  the  crack  of  a  whip. 

Both  girls  looked  at  her.  Poor  Mrs.  Marshall 
sat  very  straight,  her  thin  cheeks  aflame. 
Her  expression  betokened  a  conflict  between 
incredulous  anger  and  hurt  pride. 

"  Elaine,  you  must  be  taking  leave  of  your 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION  277 

senses.  What  would  your  grandfather  have 
said  at  the  idea  of  one  of  his  blood  "  —  Mrs. 
Marshall  hesitated,  then  evidently  concluded 
that  only  the  objectionable  commercial  term 
Peggy  had  made  use  of,  was  equal  to  the  occa- 
sion —  "  one  of  his  descendants  getting  a  job 
in  a  real  estate  office?  " 

"  I  think  grandfather  would  probably  have 
said  that  circumstances  alter  cases,"  replied 
Elaine  promptly. 

Not  having  had  the  pleasure  of  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Mrs.  Marshall's  late  father,  Peggy  was 
unable  to  surmise  what  that  old  gentleman's 
attitude  would  have  been  under  such  conditions. 
But  she  hastened  to  suggest,  "  Lots  of  awfully 
nice  girls  go  into  business  offices  nowadays, 
Mrs.  Marshall." 

Elaine  was  in  a  reckless  mood.  "  I  don't 
know  as  it  matters  what  other  girls  do.  It's 
a  question  of  what  I've  got  to  do.  We  can't 
sit  here  and  starve,  just  because  grandfather 
was  rich." 

"  Elaine!  "  cried  Mrs.  Marshall  with  a  horror 
which  was  at  least  sincere.  To  acknowledge, 
even  to  Peggy,  the  pressing  character  of  their 


278    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

need,  seemed  to  the  poor  lady  a  shocking  piece 
of  indelicacy.  Her  weak  chin  quivered,  as  she 
struggled  with  her  emotions.  Peggy  possessed 
enough  of  the  divine  art  of  putting  herself 
in  another's  place  to  realize  that  the  conster- 
nation, so  absurd  from  her  standpoint,  was 
justified  by  those  views  of  life  to  which  Mrs. 
Marshall  had  always  adhered.  She  racked  her 
head  for  something  which  would  soften  the  blow. 

"  If  Elaine  is  going  to  work  anywhere,  Mrs. 
Marshall,  she  couldn't  be  in  a  better  place  than 
Uncle  John's  office.  He'd  be  good  to  anybody, 
but,  of  course,  he'd  be  especially  interested  in 
Elaine  as  long  as  she's  a  friend  of  mine." 

"  Young  people  nowadays,"  quavered  Mrs. 
Marshall,  her  sense  of  injury  goading  her  to 
injustice,  "  are  not  sufficiently  mindful  of 
what  they  owe  the  family  name." 

Elaine's  flippant  laugh  jarred  Peggy's  sense 
of  propriety.  She  looked  at  her  reproachfully, 
but  Elaine  would  not  meet  her  eye. 

"  I  suppose  that's  because  we  have  to  think 
what  we  owe  ourselves,"  she  suggested  airily. 
"  Clothes  and  something  to  eat,  to  say  nothing 
of  carfare," 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION          279 

"  And  don't  you  think,"  asked  Peggy,  hurl- 
ing herself  into  the  breach,  "  that  a  girl  who 
does  hard  things  when  she  has  to,  and  keeps 
brave  and  plucky  about  it,  is  a  credit  to  any 
family?  Seems  to  me  that  her  ancestors, 
whoever  they  were,  would  have  reason  to  be 
proud  of  her." 

There  was  a  clarion  ring  in  Peggy's  voice. 
Mrs.  Marshall  looked  at  her  doubtfully,  sur- 
prised that  enthusiasm  could  be  kindled  over 
what  to  her  mind  was  a  disgrace.  But  Elaine's 
expression  betrayed  a  sense  of  guilt. 

"  Don't  try  to  make  a  heroine  of  me,  Peggy," 
she  protested.  "  I'm  not  brave,  nor  plucky, 
nor  anything  of  the  kind.  It's  only  that  I've 
got  to  have  the  money.  If  you  think  there's 
any  chance,  let's  go  to  see  your  uncle  right 
away  before  he  gets  anybody  else." 

The  process  of  bringing  Mrs.  Marshall  to 
agree  to  this  suggestion  occupied  some  time. 
Suspecting  the  weakness  of  her  arguments, 
the  poor  lady  fell  back  on  tears  and  reminis- 
cences. The  two  girls  listened  to  detailed 
accounts  of  the  lavish  expenditure  that  had 
prevailed  in  her  father's  household,  the  big 


280    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

dinners,  the  imported  gowns,  the  Jiveried 
coachman.  "  And  to  think  that  my  child 
should  be  —  getting  a  job,"  wailed  Mrs.  Mar- 
shall. "  0,  what  would  poor  papa  have  said?  " 
It  was  not  so  much,  perhaps,  that  the  girls' 
arguments  finally  had  effect,  as  that  the  vio- 
lence of  her  emotion  had  reduced  her  to  the 
point  of  exhaustion,  which  accounted  for  the 
fact  that  Elaine  and  Peggy  were  at  last  al- 
lowed to  depart  on  their  errand  without 
protest. 

Peggy's  uncle,  Mr.  John  Mannering,  was  a 
big  grey-haired  man,  with  eyes  that  twinkled 
boyishly,  and  a  voice  that  could  be  kind  or 
commanding  or  both  in  one,  on  occasion. 
He  asked  Elaine  a  few  questions  which  had 
the  result  of  making  her  feel  hopelessly  ignorant 
and  incompetent,  and  then  sat  considering  her 
with  a  closeness  of  attention  whose  curious 
impersonality  resulted  in  relieving  Elaine  from 
all  feeling  of  embarrassment.  "  He's  sizing  me 
up,"  she  thought,  and  sat  waiting  without 
much  hope  of  a  favorable  verdict.  The  atmos- 
phere of  the  real  estate  office  was  like  a  different 
world  from  any  to  which  Elaine  had  been  accus- 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION          281 

tomed.  The  maps  upon  the  wall,  the  business- 
like click  of  the  typewriter,  the  phrases  which 
she  caught  as  people  came  and  went,  all  were 
calculated  to  make  her  feel  how  little  her  life 
had  prepared  her  for  fitting  into  so  methodical 
a  system  of  activity. 

Mr.  Mannering  turned  abruptly  to  his  niece. 
"  Well,  Peggy,"  he  exclaimed,  with  the  smile 
which  was  conclusive  proof  that,  as  Peggy  put 
it,  he  was  not  "  petrified."  "  Do  I  understand 
that  you  stand  sponsor  for  this  young  woman?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  returned  Peggy,  without  troub- 
ling herself  to  inquire  into  his  exact  meaning. 

"  You'll  vouch  for  her  being  efficient,  cour- 
teous, obliging,  industrious,  quick  to  learn, 
slow  to  forget,  and  above  all  a  sticker." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Peggy  without  blinking. 
It  was  Elaine  who  uttered  a  little  protesting 
gasp,  and  looked  frightened. 

"  Well,  I'll  take  your  word  for  her.  You  can 
be  on  hand  in  the  morning,  I  suppose,"  he 
added,  looking  at  Elaine. 

Like  one  in  a  dream  Elaine  heard  herself 
concluding  the  arrangements  for  her  plunge. 
She  listened  to  the  outlining  of  her  duties, 


282    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

without  any  clear  idea  of  what  was  said,  agreed 
to  the  amount  of  her  salary,  without  knowing 
whether  it  was  more  or  less  than  she  had  hoped, 
and  finally  found  herself  outside  with  Peggy, 
in  the  dazed,  uncertain  mood  of  one  who  is 
not  quite  sure  whether  she  has  been  dreaming 
or  not. 

"  Isn't  it  glorious? "  Peggy's  enthusiastic 
comment  sounded  wide-awake  enough,  at  all 
events.  "  You're  a  wage-earner,  Elaine. 
Doesn't  that  sound  imposing?  Don't  you  think 
Uncle  John's  a  dear?  I'm  coming  down  some 
afternoon  when  I  haven't  anything  to  do,  and 
look  at  all  those  blue-prints.  There's  something 
awfully  fascinating  in  the  things  you  don't 
know  anything  about." 

Elaine  reflected  that  in  this  case  she  was 
likely  to  find  untold  fascination  in  her  new 
occupation.  Her  answers  to  Peggy's  cheerful 
chatter  were  rather  vague.  Now  that  she  had 
taken  the  final  step  her  courage  was  ebbing. 
Her  mother's  warnings,  which  she  had  brushed 
aside  with  a  sense  of  irritation  when  they  were 
spoken,  sounded  in  her  ears  with  monotonous 
insistence.  After  her  reckless  mood  of  the 


ELAINE  UPSETS  TRADITION          283 

afternoon  had  come  the  inevitable  reaction  of 
tremulous  cowardice.  Why  had  she  ever  done 
it?  What  had  made  her  suppose  herself  quali- 
fied for  such  a  position?  How  was  she  ever 
going  to  bear  it? 

If  this  was  her  mood,  when  sustained  by  the 
cheerful  companionship  of  Peggy,  it  was  worse 
after  they  had  said  good  night.  Mrs.  Marshall 
had  received  the  news  of  her  daughter's  pro- 
spective advent  into  business  life  with  a  burst 
of  tears,  after  which  she  had  refused  to  partake 
of  the  evening  meal  and  had  retired  to  her  room. 
Elaine,  herself,  had  choked  down  her  food  with 
difficulty,  and  went  to  bed  at  last  with  the  firm 
conviction  that  dreams  of  the  night,  how- 
ever unpleasant,  could  be  no  worse  than  the 
nightmare  of  her  waking  hours.  She  was  not 
quite  clear  as  to  whether  she  had  already  dis- 
graced the  family  name  by  the  work  she  had 
chosen,  or  merely  was  about  to  disgrace  it, 
by  proving  her  woeful  inefficiency.  Whichever 
was  true,  she  could  see  nothing  but  blackness 
ahead,  and  as  she  tossed  on  her  pillow,  flushed 
and  wakeful,  she  wished  though  vainly  for  the 
relief  of  tears. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

A   REMARKABLE    EVENING 

A  WAKEFUL  restless  night  is  not  the  best 
of  preparations  for  launching  out  in  untried 
activities.  The  pale,  tremulous  Elaine,  who 
presented  herself  at  Mr.  John  Mannering's 
office  the  next  morning,  was  far  less  equal  to 
the  ordeal  of  being  "  sized  up  "  than  she  had 
been  the  previous  day.  A  soldier,  on  the  eve 
of  his  first  battle,  may  have  sensations  very  like 
those  of  Elaine,  as  she  seated  herself  at  the  desk 
and  began  her  unfamiliar  work. 

Tune  in  a  business  office  is  a  deliberate 
affair,  Elaine  soon  discovered.  It  was  no  won- 
der that  much  was  accomplished  when  the 
hours  were  two  or  three  tunes  as  long  as  the 
easy-going  hours  with  which  she  was  best 
acquainted.  At  ten  o'clock  she  was  impatient 
for  luncheon.  At  eleven  she  wanted  to  go  home. 
By  noon  she  was  ready  for  bed. 

The  other  girl  in  the  office  gave  her  informa- 

284 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  285 

tion  in  more  or  less  technical  terms,  which 
left  Elaine  little  the  wiser.  It  was  incredible 
that  she  could  ever  master  the  meaning  of 
the  phrases  Miss  Newell  rattled  off  so  glibly. 
Each  new  item,  as  she  gave  it  her  attention, 
crowded  out  all  that  had  gone  before.  She 
felt  like  a  spent  swimmer,  clutching  desper- 
ately at  slippery,  water-soaked  stalks,  to  find 
each  giving  way  in  her  hand.  And  when  Miss 
Newell  had  finished  Elaine  was  gasping,  like 
a  swimmer  who  has  come  to  the  surface  after 
going  under. 

The  middle  of  the  afternoon  found  her  tired, 
bewildered  and  so  near  to  complete  dishearten- 
ment  that  it  needed  only  a  feather's  weight 
addition  to  her  load  to  wreck  her  weakened 
courage.  As  ill  luck  would  have  it,  that  trifling 
extra  was  forthcoming.  About  three  o'clock 
the  office  door  swung  ajar  to  admit  a  florid 
gentleman,  accompanied  by  two  "young  girls. 
Elaine,  recalling  Miss  NewelFs  instructions, 
rose  hastily  and  approached  them. 

"  Did  you  wish  to  see  Mr.  Mannering?  " 
she  began,  addressing  the  florid  gentleman. 
Then  all  at  once  it  flashed  over  her  that  the 


286    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

something  vaguely  familiar  in  the  faces  of  the 
two  girls  was  not  a  misleading  fancy,  as  she  had 
thought.  She  really  knew  them,  for  she  had 
met  them  at  Peggy  Raymond's  Hallowe'en 
party.  So  strong  had  Elaine's  feeling  of 
forlornness  become  by  now  that  even  the  ap- 
pearance of  these  mere  acquaintances  gave 
her  pleasure  out  of  all  proportion  to  its  exciting 
cause.  The  color  rose  in  her  cheeks,  as  she 
said  smilingly,  "  Why,  good  afternoon." 

"  Good  afternoon,"  said  the  girls  in  chorus, 
and  returned  her  look  blankly.  It  did  not 
occur  to  her  that  her  own  tardy  recognition 
should  have  given  her  the  key  for  interpreting 
their  unresponsive  manner.  The  possibility 
that  these  acquaintances  failed  to  recognize 
her,  as  she  had  come  so  near  failing  to  recognize 
them,  was  far  from  her  thoughts.  She  was 
being  snubbed,  taught  her  place.  She  would 
have  to  remember,  henceforth,  that  a  girl  who 
worked  in  a  real  estate  office  must  not  expect 
cordial  treatment  from  girls  who,  like  the  lilies 
of  the  field,  toiled  not,  and  yet  outdid  Solomon 
hi  gay  apparel. 

Just    what     the    florid    man    wanted,    and 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  287 

whether  he  got  it  'or  not,  Elaine  was  never 
exactly  sure.  For  in  the  abyss  of  humiliation 
into  which  she  had  descended  connected  thought 
was  impossible.  In  her  misery  and  confusion  she 
was  conscious  of  but  one  thing,  an  overwhelm- 
ing longing  for  the  end  of  that  dreadful  day. 
Plenty  of  girls  have  gone  home  from  just 
such  experiences,  to  be  cheered,  soothed,  en- 
couraged, and  sent  out  in  the  morning  with 
teeth  set  and  heart  resolute.  But  the  atmos- 
phere of  Elaine's  home  was  not  of  the  sort  to 
revive  the  fainting  and  inspire  the  discouraged. 
Mrs.  Marshall,  as  well  as  her  daughter,  had  spent 
a  wretched  day,  weeping  at  frequent  intervals, 
and  bemoaning  the  changed  fortunes  which  had 
brought  her  family  to  such  straits.  There  was 
nothing  in  her  companionship  to  invigorate 
the  girl  who  crept  home  at  nightfall,  half 
crushed  under  a  burden  no  less  heavy  because 
it  was  largely  imaginary.  Elaine's  evident 
dejection  plunged  Mrs.  Marshall  still  deeper 
into  melancholy,  and  the  mother's  low  spirits 
reacted  on  the  girl.  Instead  of  the  mutual 
helpfulness  which  should  have  been  given  each 
was  making  it  harder  for  the  other. 


288     THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

When  Peggy  Raymond  made  her  appearance 
at  eight  o'clock  Elaine  was  lying  back  in  the  easy 
chair,  her  eyes  closed,  and  her  face  colorless. 
Mrs.  Marshall,  sitting  on  the  other  side  of  the 
round  table,  had  the  air  of  one  who  has  ex- 
pected the  worst  all  along,  and  whose  sole 
remaining  comfort  is  the  doubtful  joy  of  saying, 
"  I  told  you  so." 

"  Headache?  "  exclaimed  Peggy  sympathet- 
ically, yet  cheerily  too,  for  Peggy  had  an  in- 
tuitive shrinking  from  the  sympathy  which 
knocks  the  props  out  from  under  a  tottering 
courage.  "  Well,  the  first  day  of  anything 
is  always  a  hard  day.  Want  me  to  rub  your 
head?  " 

"  I  don't  know."  Elaine  spoke  languidly, 
more  as  if  it  were  too  much  trouble  to  refuse 
than  as  if  she  welcomed  the  thought  of  Peggy's 
ministrations.  Indeed  she  was  almost  in  the 
mood  to  resent  the  idea  of  being  made  com- 
fortable. But  Peggy  slipped  behind  her  chair, 
stroking  the  throbbing  temples  with  a  touch 
at  once  gentle  and  assured.  "  Uncle  John 
telephoned  me  this  evening,"  she  observed. 
"  He  says  you  take  things  a  little  hard,  but 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  289 

that  you'll  be  all  right  as  soon  as  you're  used 
to  it." 

Mrs.  Marshall  sighed  heavily,  and  Elaine 
came  to  life  sufficiently  to  say  with  some  spirit, 
"  There  are  some  things  one  never  would  get 
used  to." 

Peggy's  caressing  hand  paused  a  moment. 
"  Some  things!  What  sort  of  things  do  you 
mean?  " 

"  Like  being  snubbed,  for  instance." 

"  Snubbed?  "  cried  Peggy,  startled. 

"  Of  course  it's  no  more  than  I  should  have 
expected.  When  I  took  up  that  work,  I  ought 
to  have  known  that  people  would  look  down  on 
me,  and  treat  me  accordingly.  But,  somehow, 
I  wasn't  prepared  for  it." 

"  Look  here,  Elaine,"  said  Peggy,  thoroughly 
aroused.  "  Business  is  business,  and  when  a 
girl  goes  into  an  office,  she  must  expect  that 
she'll  be  told  of  her  mistakes.  But  to  imagine 
that  Uncle  John  is  going  to  look  down  on 
anybody  — ' 

"  Oh!  "  Elaine's  tone  was  apologetic,  as 
she  interrupted.  "  It  wasn't  your  uncle.  He 
was  very  kind  indeed,  all  that  I  saw  of  him. 


290    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

But  along  in  the  afternoon  —  "to  her  amaze- 
ment she  was  obliged  to  pause  to  get  control 
of  her  voice  — "  two  girls  came  in,  girls  I 
met  at  your  house,"  she  faltered.  "  Their 
name  is  Henderson." 

"Bess  and  Lu!  Well,  what  of  it?  " 
•  "  Why,  I  spoke  to  them  before  I  thought, 
just  as  I  would  anywhere.  Everything  seemed 
so  strange  that  I  had  a  silly  feeling  as  if  it 
were  awfully  nice  to  see  anybody  I  knew. 
And  they  —  O,  Peggy!"  Elaine  broke  down 
and  sobbed  helplessly.  "  They  were  so  cold 
and  distant,  and  all  at  once  I  realized  how  they 
must  feel  to  have  a  girl  in  an  office  acting  as  if 
she  thought  she  was  as  good  as  they  were.  I 
suppose  I  deserved  to  be  snubbed." 

"  If  I  had  been  listened  to,"  observed  Mrs. 
Marshall  tragically,  "  this  could  not  have  hap- 
pened." 

"  Why,  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing," 
Peggy  cried,  finding  her  voice.  "  Lu  and 
Bessie  are  nice,  sensible  girls,  as  far  as  I  know. 
I  can't  imagine  their  doing  anything  so  ill-bred 
and  silly  as  snubbing  you  for  speaking  to  them. 
I  simply  can't  believe  it." 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  291 

"  It's  true,  though."  Elaine  wiped  away  her 
tears  and  Peggy  took  a  long  look  at  her.  "  Well, 
what  of  it?  "  she  said. 

Elaine  hesitated.    "  You  mean  - 

"  I  mean  it's  not  worth  a  second  thought. 
If  they  didn't  intend  anything,  there's  no  sense 
in  worrying.  And  if  they  did,  they're  beneath 
your  notice." 

"  But,  Peggy!  "  Elaine  expostulated,  "  don't 
you  see  I  can't  go  on  with  this  if  people  are 
going  to  look  down  on  me  and  despise  me? 
I  don't  mind  how  hard  I  work,  but  this  - 

Something  in  Peggy's  look  halted  her  mid- 
way in  the  sentence.  The  other  girl's  eyes 
were  ablaze. 

"  Elaine,  see  here.  Why  did  you  apply  for 
that  position  in  the  first  place?  " 

"  Why,  I  needed  the  money,  Peggy." 

"  You  didn't  do  it  on  the  spur  of  the  moment, 
did  you?  You  thought  about  it,  and  made 
up  your  mind  that  it  was  the  right  thing  to 
do?" 

"  Why,  ye-es  — "  Elaine  hesitated,  feeling  a 
little  suspicious  that  she  was  walking  into  a 
trap. 


292    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  You're  the  same  Elaine  to-night  that  you 
were  yesterday,  aren't  you?  You  haven't 
been  spoiled,  by  spending  a  day  in  Uncle 
John's  office.  Is  there  any  reason  why  any- 
body should  like  you  less  or  respect  you  less?  " 

"  Of  course  not,  Peggy.  It's  only  the  way 
people  feel  about  such  things." 

Peggy  did  not  mean  to  stop  till  she  had 
spoken  her  mind.  "  You're  ready  to  give  up 
doing  something  you're  sure  is  right  and  sen- 
sible because  of  what  people  think.  You 
know  they're  wrong.  You  know  such  preju- 
dices are  silly  and  mistaken  and  yet  you  haven't 
got  the  courage  to  fight  them." 

"  I  don't  know  who  would  be  brave  enough 
for  that,"  Elaine  said  dejectedly. 

"  Everybody  ought  to  be  brave  enough. 
Think  of  the  people  in  the  world  who've  con- 
quered real  obstacles,  people  like  Helen  Keller, 
for  instance.  It's  a  shame  for  such  a  girl  as 
you  to  give  in  to  a  lie,  to  let  herself  be  beaten 
by  something  she  despises.  You're  in  the 
right  and  you  know  it.  Hold  your  head  up 
and  let  people  think  what  they  please." 

Peggy's  exhortation  broke  off  abruptly  on 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  293 

the  discovery  that  there  was  a  fourth  person 
in  the  room.  A  tall  girl  stood  behind  her, 
looking  down  upon  her  with  a  face  oddly  like 
Elaine's,  though  something  —  not  years  alone 
-  had  given  it  a  rather  pathetic  maturity. 
She  was  pale,  and  the  shadows  under  her  eyes 
made  them  seem  unnaturally  large.  As  she 
met  Peggy's  startled  gaze  a  little  smile  flut- 
tered across  her  lips,  and  then,  as  if  unaccus- 
tomed to  those  surroundings,  was  lost  in  in- 
stant gravity. 

"  I've  been  listening  to  you,  Peggy  Ray- 
mond," she  said,  hi  a  voice  which  Peggy  in- 
stantly recognized  as  one  she  had  heard  be- 
fore, and  that  over  the  telephone.  "  And  I 
think  the  cap  fits  me." 

Peggy  sprang  to  her  feet.  Even  in  her  ex- 
citement she  was  on  her  guard  against  be- 
traying the  secret  of  Elaine's  confidence.  For- 
tunately her  confusion  over  Grace's  unexpected 
appearance  and  contribution  to  the  conver- 
sation was  sufficient  for  the  exigencies  of  the 
case.  No  one  could  have  guessed  from  her 
manner  that  she  had  a  previous  knowledge 
of  Grace's  presence  in  the  house. 


294    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Sit  down,  Peggy  Raymond."  The  older 
girl  touched  Peggy's  shoulder  lightly,  and 
seated  herself  near  by.  A  furtive  glance  told 
Peggy  that  Mrs.  Marshall's  face  was  colorless, 
and  that  Elaine  was  sitting  bolt  upright  in 
her  chair,  her  eyes  protruding,  as  if  her  sister 
had  been  a  chance  visitor  from  another  planet. 

Apparently  Grace  was  not  impressed  by  the 
excitement  due  to  her  unheralded  appear- 
ance. "  I'm  Grace  Marshall,"  she  said,  ad- 
dressing Peggy.  "  Elaine's  sister." 

"  I  couldn't  help  knowing  that  you  were 
Elaine's  sister,  after  really  looking  at  you," 
Peggy  replied,  trying  to  smile  naturally.  Grace 
reflected  a  minute,  apparently  studying  the 
pattern  of  the  carpet. 

"  So  you  don't  believe  in  giving  in  to  a  lie." 

"  No!  "  Peggy  gulped.    "  I  don't." 

"  And  if  you're  in  the  right,  you  should  hold 
your  head  up  and  let  people  think  what  they 
please.  Isn't  that  what  you  said?  " 

"  It's  what  I  believe,  anyway,  with  all  my 
heart." 

"  I  half  think  you're  right.  And  do  you 
know,  Peggy  Raymond,  I've  been  acting  on  a 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  295 

very  different  plan.  I'm  going  to  tell  you 
something  that  happened  not  so  very  long 
ago  and  see  what  you  have  to  say  about  that." 

It  was  the  story  Peggy  had  heard  before, 
shorn  of  some  of  its  tragedy,  compressed  into 
as  few  words  as  possible;  a  bald  little  tale,  if 
the  burning  eyes  of  the  narrator  had  not  sup- 
plied the  pathos.  She  sat  with  crossed  hands 
as  she  told  it,  and  when  she  had  finished, 
looked  expectantly  hi  Peggy's  direction. 
"  Well?  "  she  said  as  the  other  hesitated. 

"  Well,"  cried  Peggy,  voicing  a  sentiment 
she  had  expressed  earlier,  "  somebody  ought 
to  hide.  But  not  you." 

"  Then  you  think  I've  been  silly." 

"  Yes."  Peggy's  smile  took  the  edge  off 
her  bluntness. 

"And  cowardly?" 

"  You  could  be  braver." 

"  Well,  I've  been  brave  enough  to  come  down 
and  see  you,  anyway."  Grace  laughed  out, 
and  Peggy  noticed  that  both  Elaine  and  her 
mother  started  nervously  at  the  sound.  *  You 
mustn't  think  me  familiar  on  short  acquaint- 
ance. You  see  I've  known  you  for  some  tune, 


296    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

and  the  most  popular  topic  of  conversation 
in  this  house  since  we  moved  in  has  been 
Peggy  Raymond.  You  don't  mind  my  call- 
ing you  Peggy  ?  " 

"I'd  mind  dreadfully  if  you  called  me  any- 
thing else.  And,  by  the  way!  "  Peggy  had 
some  sensible  ideas  as  to  striking  when  the  iron 
is  hot.  "  Mayn't  I  bring  some  of  the  girls  in 
to  see  you?  They  will  be  so  interested  when 
they  know  Elaine's  sister  has  come." 

Grace's  gesture  reminded  Peggy  of  one  who, 
coming  from  the  darkness  of  a  cellar,  blinks 
and  shrinks  away  from  the  sunshine. 

"  Not  yet.  Not  quite  yet,"  she  pleaded. 
"  Let  me  get  a  little  used  to  things  first." 
And  Peggy  wisely  forbore  to  press  her,  guessing 
that  as  soon  as  Grace  began  to  live  normally 
her  unnatural  shrinking  from  companionship 
would  disappear. 

It  was  an  exciting  evening.  Peggy  stayed 
till  her  mother  telephoned  to  ask  if  anything 
was  the  matter.  When  some  reference  was 
made  to  Elaine's  headache,  Elaine  protested. 

"  Headache!  I  haven't  any  headache.  I 
never  felt  better  in  my  life." 


A  REMARKABLE  EVENING  297 

Peggy  viewed  her  with  approval.  It  was 
not  only  that  Elaine's  color  had  returned,  and 
her  languid  eyes  had  brightened.  There  was 
another  change,  indefinable,  but  not  to  be  mis- 
taken. When  courage  and  resolution  come 
flooding  back  into  a  heart  deprived  of  both 
the  least  observing  cannot  fail  to  note  the 
difference. 

"  Going  to  the  office,  to-morrow?  "  Peggy 
demanded,  as  she  rose  to  go. 

"Of   course." 

"  And  you're  not  going  to  say  silly  things 
any  more,  are  you,  about  people  who  look 
down  on  you?  " 

"  I'm  not  going  to  be  beaten  by  my  sister. 
Grace  needn't  think  she's  got  a  monopoly 
in  the  courage  of  the  family."  Elaine  slipped 
her  arm  about  Grace's  shoulders,  her  face  so 
transformed  by  tenderness  and  pride  that  it 
was  hardly  recognizable. 

Grace  looked  rueful  over  the  implied  compli- 
ment. "  I'm  afraid  neither  of  us  could  be 
called  heroines.  But  Peggy's  started  us  right, 
and  we'll  have  to  help  each  other  to  be  brave." 

It  certainly  was  a  remarkable  evening.    But 


298    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

the  thing  which  astonished  Peggy  even  more 
than  the  dramatic  appearance  of  Elaine's  mys- 
terious sister,  was  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Marshall 
kissed  her  good  night. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

AMY   IS   DISILLUSIONED 

"  ELAINE'S  sister  here!  Why,  I  didn't  even 
know  she  had  a  sister.  Is  she  nice,  Peggy? 
Has  she  come  here  to  live?  It'll  be  lovely  for 
Elaine,  won't  it?  " 

That  was  the  way  Friendly  Terrace  received 
the  announcement  of  the  third  member  of  the 
Marshall  household.  It  was  surprisingly  easy, 
Peggy  found,  to  evade  answering  questions  as 
to  the  date  of  Grace's  arrival,  and  the  reason 
she  had  not  joined  the  family  earlier.  Peggy 
said  with  perfect  truth  that  Grace  was  not 
very  strong  and  that  even  now  it  might  be  some 
time  before  she  was  able  to  see  Elaine's  friends. 

But  by  the  end  of  a  fortnight  Grace  was  so 
far  restored  to  the  normal  attitude  of  girlhood 
toward  the  world  outside  that  she  no  longer 
shrank  back  from  the  window  if  a  passer-by 
chanced  to  look  up,  nor  gave  evidences  of  col- 
lapse when  Peggy  suggested  that  one  of  the 
girls  might  come  in  with  her  after  school. 

299 


300    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Grace  made  a  much  more 
favorable  impression  on  the  girls  of  the  Terrace 
than  Elaine  had  done.  There  was  something 
in  her  look  of  fragile  delicacy  that  was  distinctly 
appealing.  Ruth  lost  her  heart  to  her  at  once, 
after  the  impulsive  fashion  of  school  girls. 
Priscilla,  who,  ever  since  her  misunderstanding 
with  Peggy,  had  been  on  her  good  behavior, 
took  especial  pains  to  be  cordial  to  the  new- 
comer. It  occurred  to  Peggy  one  afternoon 
to  wonder  how  it  happened  that  Amy  had  not 
as  yet  accepted  any  of  their  invitations  to  call 
and  meet  Elaine's  sister. 

"  I'm  sure  you'd  like  her,  Amy.  And  you're 
just  the  one  to  do  her  good.  Suppose  we  run 
in  for  a  few  minutes." 

"  I  guess  not."  Amy's  tone  was  hollow. 
"  I  don't  feel  like  meeting  strangers." 

Peggy  cast  a  sidelong  glance  in  her  direction, 
and  made  a  discovery  which  temporarily  ban- 
ished from  her  mind  the  topic  under  discussion. 

"  Amy,  I  believe  you  are  growing  thin." 

She  made  the  announcement  jubilantly, 
expecting  it  to  be  received  with  enthusiasm, 
but  Amy  did  not  speak. 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  301 

"  Have  you  really  left  off  eating  candy?  " 
continued  Peggy,  innocently  interested. 
"  Seems  to  me  I  haven't  noticed  any  boxes 
of  chocolates  in  your  desk  lately." 

"  I  haven't  been  eating  very  much  candy." 
Amy  sighed  so  heavily  that  Peggy  looked  at 
her  again.  Amy  had  really  lost  flesh,  but  that 
was  not  all.  About  her  hung  an  air  of  depres- 
sion, as  inconsistent  with  the  normal  Amy  as 
hollow  cheeks,  or  a  total  loss  of  appetite. 

"  Amy,  I  believe  something  is  the  matter. 
What  is  it?  " 

"  You'd  think  it  was  silly."  Amy's  tone 
indicated  a  longing  to  confide  her  griefs,  only 
restrained  by  a  dread  of  being  laughed  at. 

"  Silly  troubles  are  the  very  worst  of  all 
sometimes,"  Peggy  declared  comfortingly.  "  Go 
ahead,  dear.  Out  with  it." 

For  a  moment  Amy  hesitated.  Then  her 
pent-up  woes  burst  bounds. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  live  through  the  year." 

"  What!  "  Peggy  could  not  believe  that  she 
had  heard  aright.  "What  did  you  say?  I 
didn't  understand." 

"  I'm  not  going  to  live  through  the  year." 


302    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

Amy  repeated  her  startling  statement  with 
a  deliberation  and  an  emphasis  which  carried 
the  conviction  that  at  least  she  meant  what 
she  said.  Peggy  burst  into  excited  expostula- 
tion. 

"  Amy,  you're  crazy.  I  never  heard  any- 
thing so  absurd.  You  have  lost  a  little  flesh, 
to  be  sure,  but  no  more  than  is  becoming.  I 
thought  you  would  be  delighted.  What  makes 
you  think  that  anything  ails  you?  " 

"  I  didn't  say  that  anything  ailed  me, 
did  I?  " 

"  If  you  don't  expect  to  live,  it  stands  to 
reason  that  you  must  be  sick." 

Amy  shook  her  head.  "  I  might  be  killed 
in  an  accident.  Or  I  might  be  taken  sick  sud- 
denly, and  not  live  more  than  two  or  three 
days." 

Peggy's  suspicions  were  aroused.  "  Amy 
Lassell,  you've  been  doing  something  silly." 

"  You  can  laugh  if  you  like.  I  dare  say 
it  seems  funny  to  you."  Amy  spoke  with  an 
injured  air  which  Peggy  failed  to  notice,  so 
busy  was  she  in  following  the  clue  which  her 
quick  wit  had  suggested. 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  303 

"  I  know,"  she  burst  out.  "  It's  a  fortune 
teller." 

Amy  made  no  effort  at  evasion.  On  the 
whole  it  seemed  a  relief  to  be  found  out. 

"  Yes,  it  was  a  fortune  teller.  But  if  she'd 
been  a  faker  she  never  would  have  told  me  that, 
you  know  yourself.  They  tell  you  how  rich 
you're  going  to  be,  and  whether  you're  going 
to  be  married  once  or  twice,  and  things  of  that 
sort.  But  the  ones  who  are  just  tricksters, 
don't  ever  tell  people  they  are  going  to  die  right 
away." 

Peggy  checked  her  impulse  to  laugh.  The 
thing  might  seem  a  joke  to  her,  but  it  was  seri- 
ous enough  to  Amy.  Her  loss  of  flesh,  and 
even  more  the  haunted  look  in  her  eyes,  was 
proof  of  that. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,"  she  said  soothingly, 
and  Amy  closed  with  her  offer  so  hastily  as  to 
suggest  that  all  she  had  wanted  was  a  chance. 

"  She's  a  woman  on  West  Spring  Street, 
Madame  Planchet.  Lots  of  girls  go  there  to 
get  their  fortunes  told,  just  for  the  fun  of  the 
thing.  One  day  Blanche  Estabrook  and  I  were 
going  past,  when  she  suggested  that  we  should 


304    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

stop.  Madame  Planchet  only  charges  a  quar- 
ter." 

"  That's  cheap,  considering  what  she  gives 
you,"  observed  Peggy  with  an  irony  that 
glanced  harmlessly  from  her  friend's  armor. 

"  Of  course  neither  of  us  took  it  a  bit  seri- 
ously," Amy  explained.  "  We  were  both  laugh- 
ing when  we  went  in  and  all  the  time  Blanche 
was  having  her  fortune  told  I  fairly  stuffed 
my  handkerchief  into  my  mouth,  I  giggled  so. 
Blanche's  fortune  didn't  sound  a  bit  true,  you 
know.  It  was  all  about  coming  into  a  lot  of 
money,  and  that  she  was  going  to  have  a  seri- 
ous sickness  when  she  was  about  twenty,  but 
she'd  recover  and  be  a  lot  healthier  after  that. 
And  I  supposed  mine  would  be  just  the  same. 
But  it  wasn't." 

"Go  on!  "  Peggy  prompted  impatiently,  for 
poor  Amy  paused,  as  if  she  found  it  difficult 
to  disclose  to  another  the  black  page  of  the 
future  so  unexpectedly  revealed  to  herself. 

"  Well,  she  looked  at  my  hand  a  minute, 
and  then  she  said,  '  I  can't  tell  your  fortune. 
There  is  nothing  to  tell.'  I  was  so  stupid  that 
I  didn't  understand  for  a  minute.  I  thought 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  305 

she  only  meant  that  there  wouldn't  be  much 
doing  in  my  life,  you  know.  And  I  asked  her 
if  I  wasn't  going  to  get  married.  I  thought 
fortune  tellers  married  everybody  off.  And 
then  she  said  in  a  dreadful  voice,  '  You  have 
no  future,'  and  I  began  to  understand." 

"  Poor  Amy!  To  pay  a  quarter  for  that!" 
Peggy  cried,  but  Amy  refused  to  smile. 

"  I  asked  her  how  long  I  was  likely  to  live, 
and  she  said  it  wasn't  possible  to  be  exact. 
It  might  be  six  months,  and  it  might  be  a  little 
more.  She  was  sure  I  shouldn't  live  out  the 
year."  Amy  paused  a  moment  before  she 
added,  "  And  one  month  has  gone  already." 

"  O,  you  goose!  "  cried  Peggy.  "  You  dear 
silly  goose!  Don't  you  see  how  perfectly  ab- 
surd it  all  is?  "  She  launched  into  arguments 
convincing  to  herself,  but  useless  as  far  as  Amy 
was  concerned.  More  profound  logicians  than 
Peggy  long  ago  discovered  the  hopelessness  of 
mere  reason  when  confronted  with  a  well- 
grounded  superstition. 

Peggy  went  home  thoroughly  uneasy,  and 
reproaching  herself  that  her  absorption  in 
Elaine's  affairs  had  blinded  her  to  Amy's 


306    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

troubles.  The  month  of  anxiety  had  told  upon 
the  girl.  The  dismal  prophecy  might  fulfil 
itself.  Peggy's  attention  wandered  from  her 
geometry  that  evening.  More  absorbing  than 
the  theorem  assigned  for  her  lesson  was  the 
question  of  helping  Amy. 

When  she  suggested  a  walk  the  following 
afternoon  there  was  a  brightness  in  her  eye 
which  indicated  that  her  hard  thinking  had 
not  been  unprofitable,  hi  her  own  opinion  at 
least.  Amy  was  not  inclined  to  be  enthusiastic 
over  the  proposal. 

"  I  don't  know  as  I  care  much  about  walking 
where  I'm  likely  to  be  seen.  I  thought  it  was 
going  to  rain  this  morning,  and  I  put  on  this 
old  tarn  I  haven't  had  on  my  head  this  year." 

"  All  the  better,"  Peggy  said  jubilantly. 
Then,  as  Amy  looked  as  if  she  would  like  to 
know  what  was  meant  by  that  speech,  if  it 
were  not  too  much  trouble  to  ask,  Peggy  added 
hastily,  "  We'll  take  the  side  streets.  It  won't 
matter  if  your  tarn  is  old." 

Once  under  way  Peggy  set  herself  to  be  en- 
tertaining. She  talked  so  rapidly,  changing 
the  subject  with  such  abruptness  as  to  hold 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  307 

Amy's  attention  fixed  on  her  conversational 
gymnastics.  When  she  halted  suddenly  in  front 
of  a  shabby  looking  building  on  West  Spring 
Street  Amy  cast  a  startled  glance  about  her 
and  fixed  her  gaze  on  a  fly-specked  card  hi  the 
window,  bearing  the  announcement,  "  Ma- 
dame Planchet,  Palmist."  Then  she  turned 
on  Peggy  eyes  brimful  of  reproach. 

Peggy  had  expected  this.  "  We  are  going 
in,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  No,  Peggy.  0,  not  again!  I  can't  stand 
it." 

"  Yes,  we  are,  my  dear.  And  the  only  thing 
I  ask  of  you  is  not  to  say  a  word  more  than 
you  can  help.  Leave  me  to  do  the  talking." 

She  pushed  Amy  up  the  steps  ahead  of  her, 
and  held  tightly  to  her  arm,  as  she  rang  the 
bell,  apparently  apprehensive  that  her  captive 
would  take  to  flight  if  not  forcibly  detained. 
Amy's  air  of  shrinking  horror  did  much  to 
justify  this  suspicion.  When  shuffling  foot- 
steps sounded  in  the  hall,  and  a  slatternly  girl 
opened  the  door,  Amy  drew  back  with  a  pre- 
cipitateness  which  came  near  sending  the  two 
of  them  to  the  bottom  of  the  steps. 


308    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Is  Madame  Planchet  at  home?  "  demanded 
Peggy,  righting  herself  adroitly,  and  clutching 
Amy  more  tightly  than  before. 

"  Walk  in,"  said  the  slattern,  and  led  them 
down  the  hall  to  a  stuffy  little  room  hung  with 
mysterious  charts.  Peggy  looked  about  her 
with  an  air  of  interest. 

"  I  am  almost  sure  this  is  the  place,"  she 
cried.  "  Charts  on  the  wall  and  red  curtains, 
just  as  Roxanna  said.  Yes,  I'm  pretty  sure 
we're  right." 

Amy  opened  her  mouth  and  closed  it  without 
emitting  a  sound,  in  a  fashion  suggestive  of  a 
dying  fish.  She  perceived  from  Peggy's  ex- 
pression that  she  was  expected  to  listen  to  her 
friend's  observations,  instead  of  taking  part 
in  the  conversation. 

"  I  don't  know  why  you  should  act  so  scared 
over  the  idea  of  having  your  fortune  told,  as 
lucky  a  girl  as  you  are.  For  of  course  your 
Uncle  Philander's  money  is  all  coming  to  you." 

Again  Amy's  jaw  dropped.  She  looked 
frankly  stupid. 

"  Doesn't  it  seem  lovely  to  think  you're 
going  to  see  Europe  this  summer?  "  continued 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  309 

Peggy  enthusiastically.  "  I  think  you  were 
sensible  though,  to  travel  all  over  this  country 
first.  0,  dear!  It  would  make  me  fairly  en- 
vious if  it  were  anybody  but  you.  To  think 
that  I've  hardly  been  out  of  the  town  I  was 
born  in,  and  here  you  go  everywhere." 

Peggy's  fancy  sketches  were  beginning  to  be 
interesting,  by  virtue  of  their  sheer  audacity. 
Amy  listened,  a  faint  amusement  showing 
through  her  air  of  perplexity. 

"  Won't  it  seem  funny  to  settle  down  in 
Germany  to  study  your  music,  after  your 
lovely  summer?  But  I  suppose  you  love  that 
too,  almost  as  much  as  travelling.  That's 
what  comes  of  being  a  genius." 

This  time  Amy  was  forced  to  bite  her  lips 
to  keep  from  laughing.  Musical  appreciation 
had  been  left  out  of  Amy's  composition.  She 
could  not  recognize  the  most  familiar  air  when 
she  heard  it  hummed,  and,  as  far  as  she  could 
see,  the  only  difference  between  a  street  band 
and  a  symphony  orchestra  was  that  one  made 
more  noise  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
players.  But  even  her  amusement  over  the 
role  of  a  musical  genius,  so  unexpectedly  as- 


310    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

signed  her,  .vanished  when  the  red  curtains 
parted  and  a  tall  woman  came  into  the 
room. 

The  discovery  of  her  callers  appeared  to 
surprise  Madame  Planchet.  "  My  assistant 
neglected  to  inform  me  that  anyone  wished 
to  see  me,"  she  explained,  in  what  Peggy  men- 
tally denominated  as  a  "  mincing  voice." 
"  You  wish  your  fortunes  told,  of  course.  I  give 
several  grades  of  readings,  ranging  in  price 
from  twenty-five  cents  to  a  dollar." 

"  I  think  the  twenty-five  cent  ones  will  be 
all  we  can  afford  for  to-day,"  said  Peggy  with 
an  artlessness  which  would  have  made  Amy 
smile,  if  the  horror  of  her  last  visit  had  not 
been  overshadowing  her.  "  And  please  tell 
my  friend's  fortune  first.  I  want  to  know  if 
she's  going  to  keep  on  being  as  lucky  as  she 
has  been  so  far." 

Amy  surrendered  her  hand  to  Madame 
Planchet's  inspection,  and  Peggy  noted  with 
sympathy  that  the  girl's  face  was  colorless. 
She  also  improved  the  opportunity  to  study 
the  appearance  of  the  unconscious  fortune 
teller.  The  woman's  heavy,  coarse  face  gave 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  311 

conclusive  proof  of  bad  temper.  The  lines 
about  her  mouth,  the  furrow  plowed  between 
her  brows,  something  in  the  glance  of  her 
restless  black  eyes,  all  indicated  to  Peggy 
that  she  would  not  scruple  to  take  a  cruel 
revenge  on  the  unlucky  person  who  offended 
her. 

"  A  very  good  hand."  The  voice  was  smooth. 
"  I  see  a  few  illnesses  in  early  childhood,  but 
after  the  twelfth  year  there  is  no  sign  of  sick- 
ness. You  will  live  to  a  good  old  age  and  enjoy 
excellent  health." 

Amy's  gasp  was  so  pronounced  that  Peggy 
thought  best  to  distract  Madame  Planchet's 
attention  by  dropping  her  umbrella.  As  the 
clatter  subsided,  she  picked  it  up  again  and 
begged  pardon. 

"  Other  good  fortune  is  in  store  for  you," 
continued  Madame  Planchet.  "I  see  a  large 
amount  of  money  coming  to  you  soon.  It  is 
to  be  left  you  by  a  near  relative.  I  should 
say  a  cousin,  or  possibly  an  uncle."  She 
studied  Amy's  palm  with  absorbed  interest 
for  a  moment  and  started  out  on  a  new 
tack. 


312    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  You  have  remarkable  gifts  in  the  line  of 
music.  I  see  that  through  their  cultivation 
a  great  future  will  be  open  to  you.  There  is 
fame  hi  store.  You  will  study  abroad,  and  earn 
laurels  as  a  singer." 

"  Wonderful!  "  Peggy  murmured  abstract- 
edly. And  she  was  rewarded  by  a  sudden  con- 
vulsive twitch  of  Amy's  shoulders. 

After  emphasizing  the  fact  that  Amy  had 
already  seen  much  of  the  world  and  was  to 
travel  extensively  in  the  near  future,  the  for- 
tune teller  contented  herself  with  a  few  prophe- 
cies which  would  apply  with  equal  exactness 
to  nine  girls  out  of  ten.  She  paused  with  a 
complacent  ah1,  for  after  following  Peggy's 
supposed  clues  she  was  very  sure  that  she  had 
hit  the  mark  with  unusual  correctness. 

Peggy's  fortune  was  the  usual  jumble.  To 
tell  the  truth,  she  hardly  listened,  and  ap- 
parently Madame  Planchet  was  of  the  opinion 
that  after  doing  so  well  by  one  of  the  pair  it 
was  unnecessary  to  put  herself  out  to  make 
shrewd  guesses  regarding  the  other.  Peggy  was 
glad  when  the  monotonous  voice  ceased,  and 
she  could  drop  her  half  dollar  on  the  table. 


AMY  IS  DISILLUSIONED  313 

"  It  was  well  worth  it,"  she  said  with  a  signifi- 
cance lost  on  the  smiling  Madame  Planchet. 

"  If  you  young  ladies  should  try  the  dollar 
readings,"  observed  the  fortune  teller,  pocket- 
ing the  coin,  "  you  would  find  them  much  more 
satisfactory.  I  describe  your  personal  charac- 
ters fully,  showing  you  the  weaknesses  against 
which  you  should  guard,  and  also  the  traits 
which  should  characterize  your  life  partner. 
Kindly  mention  me  to  your  friends.  Good 
afternoon." 

Once  outside,  the  two  stood  looking  at  each 
other.  "  Well,  Amy  Lassell,"  Peggy  cried, 
"  if  you're  not  convinced  now  that  that  woman 
is  a  thorough-going,  outrageous  old  fraud,  I'll 
wash  my  hands  of  you." 

Amy  had  hardly  recovered  from  her  daze. 
"  But  why  did  she  do  it?  "  she  persisted. 

"  Don't  ask  me.  Though  I  think  I  could  make 
a  fair  guess.  You  said  yourself  that  you  laughed 
all  the  time  she  was  telling  Blanche's  fortune. 
I  suppose  she  thought  you  were  making  fun 
of  her  art  or  science,  or  whatever  she  calls  it, 
and  she  wanted  to  get  even." 

Amy  straightened  herself  and  drew  a  long 


314    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

breath,  like  one  who  lays  down  an  intolerable 
burden.  The  face  she  turned  on  her  friend 
was  radiant. 

"  Peggy,"  she  cried  joyously,  "  let's  go  down 
to  Bird's  —  I  don't  care  if  I  do  look  like  a 
fright  —  and  get  a  nut  sundae." 


CHAPTER  XX 

AN   EVENTFUL   PICNIC 

FOR  some  time  Peggy  had  been  waiting 
anxiously  for  warm  weather.  Not  that  Peggy 
had  any  quarrel  with  the  winter  months. 
Her  vigorous  constitution  responded  joyfully 
to  the  challenge  of  the  cold.  When  the  snow 
"  crunched  "  under  her  elastic  tread,  and  the 
air  was  full  of  frost  crystals,  and  the  wind 
whistled  boisterously,  and  played  tricks  with 
people's  hats  and  umbrellas,  then  Peggy's 
eyes  were  brightest  and  the  blood  hi  her  veins 
raced  most  jubilantly. 

Peggy's  reasons  for  being  impatient  for 
spring's  return  were  not  personal  ones.  They 
concerned  the  Dunn  family.  Various  remarks 
let  fall  by  Estelle,  Isabel  and  the  others, 
had  indicated  such  incredible  ignorance  of  the 
country,  that  at  first  Peggy  could  not  believe 
that  it  was  not  assumed.  Gradually,  however, 
she  had  reached  the  conclusion  that  these 

315 


316    TEE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

children,  living  within  a  few  miles  of  grass- 
covered  acres  and  groves  of  trees,  knew  as  little 
of  either  as  young  Hottentots  might  be  sup- 
posed to  know  of  the  North  Pole. 

Along  in  February  Peggy's  friends  began  to 
hear  plans  discussed  for  giving  the  Dunns 
a  day's  outing  in  the  country,  as  soon  as  spring 
should  arrive  in  earnest.  Little  by  little  they 
had  all  come  to  feel  a  personal  interest  in  the 
affair.  Indeed  "  Peggy's  Dunns  "  had  gradually 
grown  to  be  almost  a  neighborhood  possession, 
and  more  than  one  household  had  their  welfare 
at  heart. 

When  Peggy  decided  that  the  grass  was 
green  enough,  the  air  balmy  enough,  and  the 
orchard  trees  sufficiently  like  bridal  bouquets 
to  make  it  practicable  to  carry  out  her  plan,  she 
passed  the  word  along  the  line.  And  in  honor 
of  the  occasion  Amy  fell  to  making  fudge,  and 
Priscilla  bribed  Susan  to  undertake  a  batch  of 
doughnuts  which  would  go  a  long  way  toward 
satisfying  the  inner  cravings  of  the  picnic 
party. 

Elaine  had  not  expected  to  share  in  the  fun. 
But  when  she  came  home  one  Friday  evening 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  317 

to  announce  that,  owing  to  the  presence  of 
calsiminers  in  the  office,  the  next  day  would  be 
a  holiday,  Peggy  was  inclined  to  regard  the 
occurrence  as  an  especial  interposition  of  Provi- 
dence. And  truth  to  tell,  the  sequel  did  not 
cause  her  to  change  her  mind  in  that  regard. 

"  It's  perfectly  heavenly  to  think  that  you 
can  go  with  us.  And  now  perhaps  you  can 
coax  Grace  into  coming.  It  would  do  her  any 
amount  of  good." 

But  Grace,  though  the  change  in  her  from 
day  to  day  was  almost  as  marked  as  that 
taking  place  in  the  springtime  world,  drew  the 
line  at  chaperoning  the  Dunn  family  for  a  day 
in  the  country.  The  rest  of  the  girls  went 
along,  Peggy,  Priscilla,  Ruth,  Amy  —  now 
restored  to  her  customary  cheerfulness  —  and 
Elaine,  who,  after  the  long  hours  and  close 
confinement  of  office  work,  found  the  prospect 
of  a  day  in  the  open  unspeakably  alluring. 
Each  girl  had  a  child  in  charge,  for  though 
Francesca  could  not  leave  the  factory  Jimmy 
had  succeeded  in  arranging  his  business  affairs 
so  as  to  take  a  day  off,  and  the  Dunn  picnickers 
numbered  five. 


318    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

They  were  an  odd  quintet,  as  they  climbed 
aboard  the  street  car,  for  though  "  Peggy's 
Dunns  "  were  the  first  ones  thought  of  along 
the  Terrace  when  outgrown  clothing  was  to 
be  given  away,  Mrs.  Dunn  seemed  to  have  a 
genius  for  putting  the  half-worn  suit  on  the 
boy  it  could  not  fit  by  any  possibility,  and  for 
dividing  up  the  girls'  garments  so  that  each 
should  present  as  patched  and  piecemeal  an 
appearance  as  possible.  But,  after  all,  the  misfit 
coats  and  mismated  skirts  mattered  very  little, 
Peggy  thought,  since  the  faces  of  the  company 
were  beaming  with  anticipation. 

Peggy  had  selected  a  charming  picnic  ground 
on  the  edge  of  a  small  lake,  lying  in  a  cup- 
shaped  hollow,  with  woods  for  a  background, 
where  spring  flowers  palpitatingly  awaited 
discovery,  and  with  farmhouses  accessible, 
where  milk  could  be  purchased,  and  other 
provisions,  for  that  matter,  if  the  contents  of 
the  lunch  baskets  gave  out.  Peggy,  however, 
had  no  concern  over  this  possibility,  for  to 
all  appearances  the  aforesaid  baskets  contained 
ample  provisions  for  fifty. 

The  Dunns  knew  what  to  expect.     There 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  319 

was  to  be  a  lake,  and  woods,  and  wild-flowers, 
for  Miss  Peggy  had  said  so,  but  that  the  terms 
meant  little  to  them  was  proved  when  Estelle 
uttered  an  excited  cry.  "  There's  the  lake! " 

The  others  joined  in  rapturously.  "  Ain't 
it  grand!  "  "  O,  my!  "  Peggy  turned  wonder- 
ingly. 

"  Lake!  Why,  we're  not  nearly  there.  O, 
you  poor  children!  "  For  Estelle's  grimy  fore- 
finger was  pointing  triumphantly  at  a  puddle 
in  an  adjacent  field,  a  pool  perhaps  ten  feet 
across,  its  surface  ruffled  by  a  cheerful  little 
breeze.  "  Well,  there's  one  comfort,"  Peggy 
thought.  "  They'll  be  wiser  before  they  get 
home." 

When  the  real  lake  came  in  view,  the  Dunns 
were  breathless  with  excitement.  They  climbed 
down  from  the  street  car  on  the  edge  of  a  green 
meadow  and  the  children  walked  gingerly  across 
the  turf,  looking  about  them  apprehensively,  as 
if  on  the  lookout  for  the  warning,  "  Keep  off  the 
Grass."  Isabel,  who  had  fallen  a  little  behind, 
galloped  up  to  Peggy  with  a  spring  beauty  in 
her  hand. 

"Miss  Peggy!"     She  was  breathing  hard, 


320    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

but  whether  from  her  run  or  from  excitement 
Peggy  did  not  know.  "  Miss  Peggy,  kin  they 
put  me  in  jail  for  that?  " 

"  O,  dear!  "  Peggy  cried,  an  unaccountable 
lump  appearing  in  her  throat.  "  They  won't 
put  you  in  jail  for  picking  all  the  flowers  you 
can  carry  home.  Can't  I  make  you  understand 
that  everything  here  belongs  to  everybody?  " 

It  was  a  very  wonderful  picnic.  Jimmy 
Dunn  had  visited  the  city  park,  and  boasted 
a  proud  familiarity  with  trees  and  birds. 
But  the  other  children  could  not  recover  from 
their  amazement  at  seeing  trees  that  did  not 
grow  in  rows,  out  of  squares  obligingly  left 
in  cement  sidewalks  for  that  particular  pur- 
pose, while  the  unexpected  discovery  of  a 
blue  bird  was  as  startling  as  the  appearance  of1 
a  blue  rabbit  would  be  to  the  majority  of  people. 
"  I  thought  birds  was  brown,"  drawled  Johnny 
Dunn.  "  They  is  down  'round  us." 

"  Maybe  they  gets  sooty,"  suggested  Estelle 
wisely.  "  My,  wouldn't  it  be  grand,  though, 
if  they'd  get  washed  up,  and  be  flying  'round 
all  red  and  yaller  and  ev'ry  color." 

Luncheon   was    served   shortly   after    their 


LUNCHEON     WAS    SKKVKI)     SHORTLY    AFTER    THEIR    ARRI- 
VAL." 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  321 

arrival.  "  I  don't  know  why  it  is,"  Peggy 
confessed.  "  But  it  always  seems  as  if  you 
couldn't  get  fairly  started  on  a  picnic,  till 
you'd  had  something  to  eat.  I  feel  that  way 
myself  and  I  guess  these  children  are  just  the 
same  only  more  so."  Accordingly  they  sat 
in  a  ring  in  the  fresh  young  grass,  and  dis- 
posed of  such  quantities  of  sandwiches  and 
doughnuts  that  the  scientific  estimate  of  the 
capacity  of  the  human  stomach  was  then  and 
there  proved  incorrect,  beyond  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt.  Peggy  expected  that  the  gorged  Dunns 
would  find  a  period  of  inactivity  necessary, 
but  instead  of  stretching  in  somnolent  atti- 
tudes under  the  trees  when  the  moment  arrived 
that  they  could  hold  no  more,  they  scattered 
in  all  directions.  As  it  seemed  quite  impossible 
that  they  should  get  into  mischief  or  danger 
the  girls  left  them  to  their  own  devices,  and  sat 
talking  happily  while  the  breeze  brought  the 
coolness  of  the  little  lake,  and  the  fragrance  of 
the  apple  orchards,  mingled  with  more  delicate 
scents,  the  perfume  of  the  moist  earth,  the 
breath  of  tiny  flowers  fading  unseen,  perhaps, 
but  making  earth  the  sweeter  for  their  blooming. 


322    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  I  found  some  grand  ones." 

Peggy  looked  up  smilingly  into  Estelle's 
radiant  face.  Then  she  got  to  her  feet  rapidly, 
for  the  child's  hands  were  filled  with  early 
garden  flowers,  with  several  clusters  of  gerani- 
ums showing  up  dazzlingly  among  the  more 
modest  blossoms.  "  Where  did  you  get  them?  " 
Peggy  gasped. 

"  Over  back  of  that  house."  Estelle  ges- 
tured with  her  treasures  in  the  direction  of  a 
snug-looking  farmhouse  standing  on  a  rise 
of  land  above  the  lake. 

"  Don't  pick  any  more  there,  dear.  I  guess 
those  flowers  belong  to  the  people  who  live  in 
the  house.  But  all  the  flowers  in  the  woods, 
and  growing  around  the  meadows,  belong  to 
everybody."  She  made  a  grimace  at  the  other 
girls,  over  the  head  of  the  unconscious  Estelle. 
"  I've  got  to  go  up  to  the  farmhouse  and  explain 
matters." 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Elaine,  jumping  to 
her  feet,  and  the  two  started  up  the  long  slope, 
Peggy  sighing  penitently.  "  It  was  all  my  fault. 
I  was  so  anxious  those  children  shouldn't 
think  they  were  going  to  be  arrested  if  they 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  323 

picked  a  dandelion,  I  guess  I  went  a  little  too 
far  the  other  way.  Who  would  have  thought 
that  they  would  have  stumbled  on  a  garden  first 
thing?  " 

The  farmer's  wife,  being  indoors,  had  not 
noticed  the  rifling  of  her  garden,  but  so  far 
from  displaying  annoyance  over  Peggy's  ex- 
planations, she  was  manifestly  interested. 
"  I've  heard  tell,"  she  replied,  "  that  some  of 
those  city  children  set  store  by  flowers  to  beat 
all.  And  she  picked  her  hands  full,  did  she? 
Didn't  know  the  difference  between  wild- 
flowers  and  garden  stuff?  Well,  well!  " 

But  when  Peggy,  producing  a  not  over-full 
pocketbook,  made  tentative  offers  to  pay  for 
the  damage  Estelle  had  wrought,  the  good 
woman's  protest  waxed  indignant. 

"  Now  I'd  like  to  know  what  you  take  me 
for?  Pay  for  'em?  I'd  be  ashamed  to  look  my 
husband  in  the  face  when  he  came  in  if  I  took 
your  money."  She  went  to  the  window  and 
looked  with  interest  down  the  long  slope,  to 
the  slight  figures  moving  with  such  joyous 
abandon.  "  All  brothers  and  sisters,  you 
say?  " 


324    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  Yes,  and  there's  two  others  not  here,  a 
sister  who's  about  fourteen  and  the  baby." 

"  And  we  haven't  chick  nor  child,"  said  the 
farmer's  wife.  The  shadow  that  crossed  her 
kindly  face,  as  she  stood  watching  the  small 
flitting  shapes,  had  not  lifted  when  Peggy  and 
Elaine  said  good-bye. 

At  the  door  Peggy  had  an  idea,  and  halted. 
"  There  isn't  any  boat  that  we  could  get 
around  here,  is  there?  I'd  like  to  take  those 
children  out  on  the  water  if  I  could." 

The  farmer's  wife  came  to  the  door.  "  Why, 
we've  got  an  old  dug-out  tied  down  under  the 
willows.  It  leaks  a  little,  but  you'd  have  to 
load  it  with  stone  to  sink  it.  We  keep  it  there, 
'cause  it's  handier  if  we  want  to  go  to  Mr. 
Miller's,  t'other  side  of  the  lake,  to  row  across, 
than  to  go"  all  the  way  'round.  'Tain't  so 
easy  rowing  as  it  might  be,  but  you're  welcome 
to  it  if  you  want  it." 

The  ungainly  craft,  tied  under  the  shelter- 
ing willow  trees,  did  not  look  as  if  it  would  be 
so  easy  rowing.  But  the  girls  undaunted, 
took  their  seats,  each  with  a  pair  of  oars,  and 
started  bravely  for  the  other  shore,  the  water 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  325 

slapping  the  square  end  of  the  dug-out,  as  if 
the  two  were  in  a  plot  to  make  progress  slow  and 
difficult.  The  appearance  of  the  boat  was  hailed 
with  shrieks  of  delight  by  the  Dunn  family,  who 
rushed  to  the  water's  edge  to  view  its  advance. 

"  There's  room  enough  for  all  of  them  at 
once,  if  it  wouldn't  be  too  heavy,"  Peggy 
remarked. 

"  O,  I  guess  we  can  take  them  all,"  returned 
Elaine,  tugging  at  her  oars.  '  They'll  be  satis- 
fied if  we  just  keep  it  moving,  you  know." 

"  They're  all  waiting  to  welcome  us."  Peggy 
glanced  at  the  row  of  motionless  figures, 
ranged  along  the  shore  as  if  held  spell-bound 
by  the  spectacle  afforded  by  the  stately  craft 
and  the  toiling  oarsmen.  Then  instinctively 
Peggy  began  counting,  "  Three,  four,  five. 
Where's  number  five?  " 

"  It's  one  of  the  little  girls  that's  missing, 
Estelle  or  Isabel.  I  can't  tell  them  apart." 
Elaine's  eyes  travelled  from  the  waiting  row, 
across  a  clump  of  trees  reaching  to  the  water's 
edge,  on  to  the  cleared  acres  belonging  to  the 
Miller  farm.  Then  she  uttered  a  startled 
exclamation. 


326    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"Peggy!  See  that  child!  Will  she  know 
enough  to  let  them  alone?  " 

"What?  Where?"  Wildly  Peggy's  eyes  fol- 
lowed those  of  her  friend,  and  at  the  sight 
which  had  prompted  Elaine's  frightened  ques- 
tion Peggy  rested  on  her  oars,  staring  blankly 
ahead. 

Against  the  green  of  the  hillside  rows  of 
little  white  boxes  stood  out  in  bold  relief. 
Among  them  wandered  Isabel  Dunn,  as  Gulliver 
might  have  wended  his  way  among  the  habita- 
tions of  Lilliput,  looking  about  her  with  a 
curiosity  that  betrayed  no  twinge  of  timidity. 

"  Bee-hives!  "  Peggy  gasped.  "  And  I  sup- 
pose she  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  as  a  bee- 
sting.  O,  if  she'd  only  look  this  way!  " 

But  Isabel  Dunn  was  too  absorbed  in  her 
own  discovery  to  have  any  eyes  for  the  pageant 
on  the  lake,  so  attractive  to  the  other  members 
of  her  family.  She  stood  absorbed  in  front  of 
one  of  the  hives,  watching  the  busy  occupants 
with  an  interest  which  owed  part  of  its  zest  to 
the  fact  that  here  was  something  of  which  Miss 
Peggy  had  said  nothing.  Out  in  the  country 
folks  made  houses  for  bugs  to  live  in.  She 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  327 

wondered  that  Miss  Peggy  had  failed  to  com- 
ment on  such  surprising  philanthropy. 

Heedless  of  the  line-up  of  the  Dunn  family, 
eagerly  anticipating  a  row,  the  girls  turned  the 
boat  toward  the  absorbed  student  of  nature. 
Apprehension  put  fresh  energy  into  their 
stroke.  The  dug-out  toiled  ahead  at  what  was 
really  a  surprising  rate  of  speed.  The  little 
Dunns,  disappointed,  joined  in  a  howl  of 
protest.  The  sound  reached  Isabel's  ears,  and 
she  turned,  inadvertently  stumbling  against  a 
hive.  An  instant  later,  her  knowledge  of  natural 
history  was  increased  by  a  significant  item,  in 
a  fashion  to  impress  it  on  her  memory  indelibly. 

Shrieking  wildly,  Isabel  started  down  the 
slope,  the  enraged  bees  in  pursuit.  Peggy  and 
Elaine  had  thought  they  were  pulling  their 
hardest  but  at  the  sight  of  the  child's  danger 
the  dug-out  seemed  fairly  to  leap  ahead,  like 
a  lazy  horse  pricked  with  a  spur  and  roused  to 
unwonted  speed. 

Down  the  hill  came  Isabel,  gaining  momen- 
tum with  every  step,  driven  to  frenzy  by  the 
darts  of  her  relentless  pursuers.  Whether  the 
blue  lake  seemed  a  refuge,  or  whether  she  would 


328    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

have  rushed  with  equal  blindness  into  flames, 
it  is  impossible  to  say.  But  it  is  certain  when 
she  reached  the  water's  edge  she  kept  on  run- 
ning, with  the  result  that  in  an  instant  she  had 
splashed  out  of  sight,  while  the  boat  was  still 
some  distance  away. 

"  Pull!  "  gasped  Peggy.  "  Pull  hard!  "  But 
she  would  have  done  better  to  save  her  breath, 
for  Elaine,  her  lips  parted,  showing  her  clenched 
teeth,  was  putting  into  each  stroke  every  ounce 
of  energy  at  her  disposal.  In  an  appallingly 
short  tune,  a  tow-colored  head  came  to  the 
surface  of  the  water  and  again  disappeared. 

"  A  little  harder  on  the  right  oar,"  warned 
Elaine.  Again  she  set  her  teeth  and  pulled. 
Again  the  mop  of  drenched  hah1  showed  on  the 
surface  of  the  water  and  went  under.  The 
girls  watched  to  see  it  come  in  sight  again,  but 
it  did  not  reappear. 

"  She's  not  coming  up."  Elaine  rose  in  the 
boat,  kicking  off  her  low  shoes,  and  unfastening 
her  heavy  walking  skirt.  Then  she  went  over 
the  side  with  the  ease  and  celerity  of  the  prac- 
tised swimmer.  Peggy,  who  had  not  added 
swimming  to  her  many  accomplishments,  and 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  329 

had  watched  for  Isabel's  reappearance  in  an 
agony  of  helplessness,  felt  hope  revive.  Elaine 
seemed  so  sure  of  herself  that  it  was  impossible 
not  to  share  in  her  confidence. 

The  little  group  on  the  shore  had  discovered 
what  was  happening.  The  children  ran  about 
crying  shrilly.  Above  the  sound  of  then* 
frightened  voices  rose  Amy's  lamentations 
as  she  wailed,  "  O,  why  didn't  I  watch  her! 
0,  why  didn't  I  watch  her!  "  Not  that  Peggy 
spared  tune  just  then  to  interpret  the  medley 
of  sounds  beating  upon  her  ears.  She  saw 
nothing  but  the  placid  water,  heard  nothing 
but  the  sound  of  the  little  ripples  breaking 
against  the  boat's  side. 

Elaine  came  to  the  surface,  after  some 
seemingly  interminable  seconds,  spluttered, 
filled  her  lungs  and  went  under  again.  Peggy, 
white  and  shaking,  sat  crouched  in  her  seat. 
O,  those  crawling  seconds,  that  terrible  waiting, 
the  ghastly  uncertainty.  She  felt  the  scented 
breeze  in  her  face,  and  dimly  realized  that 
overhead  the  sky  was  blue.  A  snatch  of  bird- 
song  dropping  to  her  ears  made  her  suspense 
seem  unreal.  It  could  not  be  that  this  dreadful 


330    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

thing  was  happening,  while  all  the  world  around 
was  unchanged. 

Peggy  came  out  of  her  trance  when  Elaine's 
dripping  head  cleaved  the  blue  water.  This 
tune  Elaine  did  not  come  alone.  Her  left  hand 
was  supporting  a  limp  little  figure,  whose  hair 
floated  on  the  surface  of  the  water  like  yellow 
seaweed.  Half  a  dozen  strokes  brought  Peggy 
alongside  the  pair.  Leaning  over,  she  took 
Elaine's  burden  from  her.  The  head  that 
swayed  like  a  broken  flower,  the  open,  unseeing 
eyes,  the  colorless  face,  seemed  to  her  inex- 
perience proof  that  the  worst  had  happened. 
She  sat  like  one  stunned  while  Elaine  gripped 
the  dug-out  and  pulled  her  dripping  self  over 
the  side. 

"  Quick,  Peggy!  "  Elaine's  teeth  were  chat- 
tering, for  though  the  sun  was  bright  the  water 
of  the  little  lake  still  retained  a  coolness  sug- 
gestive of  melting  snow.  "  Quick!  We  must 
get  her  to  the  house,  as  soon  as  we  can,  and  get 
to  work." 

The  suggestion  that  something  still  could  be 
done,  put  new  life  into  Peggy.  It  is  quite 
certain  that  the  clumsy  dug-out  made  record 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  331 

time  in  reaching  the  landing.  The  farmer's 
wife  was  waiting  for  them  there,  and  she  took 
the  unconscious  child  in  her  motherly  arms, 
and  almost,  ran  up  the  slope,  while  the  girls 
followed,  Elaine  walking  with  difficulty  in  her 
wet  clothing,  Peggy  weak  from  fear. 

Fortunately  for  them  all  the  suspense  was 
nearly  over.  For  the  farmer's  wife  had  hardly 
begun  her  work  of  resuscitation  when  a  soft 
little  sigh  escaped  from  the  child's  blue  lips. 
A  minute  after  she  opened  her  eyes.  Appar- 
ently it  was  too  great  an  effort  to  be  prolonged, 
for  immediately  she  closed  them  again.  But 
the  flutter  of  the  lids  was  enough  to  render 
Peggy  limp  with  relief  and  thankfulness. 

"  There!  There!  Have  a  good  cry  if  you 
feel  like  it,"  exclaimed  the  farmer's  wife, 
bustling  about.  "  There  ain't  nothing  like  a 
good  cry,  if  anybody's  been  all  keyed  up. 
I'll  get  some  hot  milk  down  her,  and  she'll 
be  all  right.  But  your  friend  had  better  be 
getting  out  of  her  wet  things,  or  she'll  be 
coming  down  with  something.  Tain't  too 
late  yet  for  pneumonia." 

It  was  a  good  thing  for  Peggy  to  divert 


332    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

her  mind  with  anxiety  about  Elaine,  who,  hav- 
ing been  duly  rubbed  and  given  something  hot 
to  drink,  was  ordered  to  bed,  while  her  clothing 
dried  by  the  kitchen  fire.  By  this  tune  Isabel 
was  sufficiently  revived  so  that  the  other 
children  could  be  admitted  to  admire  her  ap- 
pearance as  she  lay  between  blankets  smelling 
strongly  of  the  ammonia  which  the  farmer's 
wife  had  applied  to  the  bee  stings.  There  was 
a  gleam  of  envy  in  Estelle's  eyes  as  she  gazed 
upon  her  sister.  It  was  not  fair  that  Isabel 
should  have  everything,  first  be  stung  by  bees, 
and  then  nearly  drowned.  It  would  have  been 
more  generous  of  her  to  have  divided  those 
claims  to  distinction  with  some  equally  deserv- 
ing member  of  the  family. 

"  Seems  like  a  shame  to  disturb  that  child 
by  trying  to  take  her  home  to-day,"  said  the 
farmer's  wife.  "  Why  don't  you  leave  her  with 
me  over  Sunday?  By  that  time  she  wouldn't 
get  any  harm  from  going  out." 

"  I  don't  know  as  she  would  be  willing  to 
stay,"  Peggy  replied,  but  when  the  case  was 
laid  before  Isabel  she  indicated  the  greatest 
satisfaction  with  her  present  surroundings. 


AN  EVENTFUL  PICNIC  333 

Isabel  was  not  accustomed  to  being  a  person  of 
importance.  She  liked  the  sensation,  as  she 
liked  the  softness  of  the  bed  on  which  she  lay 
and  the  brightness  and  neatness  of  the  pleasant 
little  room. 

"  Of  course  it  would  be  a  great  deal  better 
for  her  to  stay.  Do  you  think  your  mother 
would  mind,  Jimmy?  "  asked  Peggy,  reflecting 
that  the  responsibility  of  taking  a  party  of 
children  to  the  country  for  a  day  was  greater 
than  she  could  have  imagined.  Jimmy's  atti- 
tude was  reassuring.  "  Ma!  Why,  she'll  be 
glad  to  get  rid  of  her  over  Sunday,"  he  declared. 
"  Pa  hates  so  many  underfoot  on  Sundays." 
It  was  accordingly  arranged  that  the  farmer's 
wife  should  bring  Isabel  home  Monday  morn- 
ing, provided  Isabel's  condition  warranted  it. 
Otherwise  she  was  to  communicate  with  Peggy, 
who  assumed  the  responsibility  of  conveying 
the  information  to  Mrs.  Dunn. 

The  picnic  was  resumed,  awaiting  the  drying 
of  Elaine's  clothing,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
no  one  of  the  Dunn  family  had  the  oppor- 
tunity again  that  day  to  get  into  mischief. 
Each  girl  made  herself  responsible  for  a  child, 


334    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

and  watched  it  with  a  hawk's  alertness,  though 
not  with  a  hawk's  motive.  "  We've  let  them 
steal  flowers,  and  get  stung  by  bees,  and  then 
pretty  nearly  drowned,"  Amy  remarked.  "  And 
for  one  day  that's  enough,"  a  sentiment 
received  without  any  dissenting  voice. 

But  in  spite  of  the  drawbacks  of  the  day  and 
the  fact  that  Isabel  was  left  behind,  the  small 
Dunns  were  enthusiastic  over  the  picnic. 
"  Be  you  goin'  to  take  us  again  some  day, 
Miss  Peggy?  "  little  Johnny  asked,  as  he  hugged 
his  armful  of  flowers  closer,  and  smiled  at  her 
over  the  heads  of  the  blossoms. 

"  I  don't  know,"  Peggy  answered  with  a 
gasp.  "  I'll  have  to  wait  to  get  thoroughly 
over  this,  before  I'll  be  able  to  make  up  my 
mind." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

AN   UNEXPECTED   VISITOR 

THE  papers  Monday  evening  contained  an 
account  of  a  heroic  rescue.  There  was  a  fancy 
sketch  of  a  young  woman  diving  from  the 
deck  of  a  pleasure  yacht  to  save  a  child  who 
with  uplifted  arms  was  drowning  in  the  most 
dramatic  manner  imaginable.  Elaine  saw  the 
sketch  over  the  shoulder  of  the  man  who  occu- 
pied the  seat  in  front  of  her  in  the  street  car, 
and  it  was  not  till  she  reached  home  that  she 
discovered  that  the  theatrical  young  heroine 
was  supposed  to  represent  herself. 

Along  the  Terrace  they  had  found  it  out  long 
before  and  each  of  the  girls  had  made  a  bee- 
line  for  the  Marshall  home  with  a  paper  under 
her  arm.  Peggy  was  the  first  arrival,  with  Amy 
a  close  second,  while  Ruth  and  Priscilla  reached 
the  door  at  the  same  minute.  What  with  the 
rustling  of  papers,  and  the  chorus  of  voices 
all  explaining  at  once,  Mrs.  Marshall  conceived 

335 


336    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

the  idea  that  something  dreadful  had  happened, 
and  it  was  necessary  to  produce  the  smelling- 
salts  before  she  was  equal  to  hearing  the  account. 

The  story  had  been  written  up  with  high 
regard  for  picturesqueness.  The  Dunn  family 
had  multiplied  into  a  car-load  of  ragged  chil- 
dren and  the  five  Terrace  girls  had  become 
wealthy  young  women  who  devoted  a  large 
share  of  their  leisure  to  philanthropy.  Upon 
Elaine,  as  the  heroine  of  the  occasion,  adjectives 
were  lavished  with  the  generosity  characteristic 
of  newspaper  reporters  when  they  start  out 
to  be  complimentary.  Mrs.  Marshall  gradually 
lost  her  look  of  apprehension  as  she  listened, 
and  her  face  took  on  a  motherly  pride,  which 
obliterated,  for  the  time,  its  habitual  expression 
of  fretful  weakness. 

When  Elaine  arrived  there  was  a  rush  in  her 
direction.  Four  newspapers  were  shaken  in 
her  face.  Four  voices,  each  uplifted  in  the 
laudable  effort  to  drown  out  the  other  three, 
read  the  most  thrilling  of  the  head-lines. 
Elaine  stared  incredulously  at  the  heroine 
with  the  dishevelled  hair,  on  the  point  of 
plunging  from  the  deck  of  the  yacht  into  tossing 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  337 

waves  below.  At  last  the  truth  dawned  upon 
her. 

"  You  don't  mean,  girls,"  she  gasped,  "  you 
can't  mean  that  it  is  intended  for  —  me. 
O,  it  can't  be  possible." 

In  chorus  four  voices  read,  "  The  heroine  of 
the  occasion  is  Miss  Elaine  Marshall,  2618 
Friendly  Terrace."  Further  disclosures  were 
checked  by  Elaine's  putting  her  hands  over 
her  ears. 

"  All  that  in  the  paper  about  me?  How  per- 
fectly dreadful!  How  in  the  world  could  they 
have  found  out  about  it?  " 

Ruth  looked  a  little  guilty.  On  her  arrival 
home  Saturday  night,  she  had  painted  Elaine's 
exploit  in  glowing  colors,  and  Graham's  friend, 
Jack  Rynson,  was  a  reporter  on  the  Star. 
Fortunately  Elaine  did  not  notice  the  incrimi- 
nating color  in  Ruth's  cheeks,  and  Peggy  was 
saying  consolingly,  "  Why,  I  think  it's  splendid. 
Just  listen,  Elaine!  '  Seeing  the  peril  of  the 
child,  the  intrepid  young  woman,  with  a  mag- 
nificent disregard  for  her  own  peril  - 

"  Please,"  implored  Elaine,  her  cheeks  fla- 
ming. "  I  feel  like  a  hypocrite,  when  I  look  at 


338    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

that  yacht  and  those  foaming  waves,  and  think 
of  that  ridicuous  old  dug-out  and  the  smooth 
little  pond.  Heroine!  It's  the  most  absurd 
thing  I  ever  heard  of." 

But  though  Elaine  protested,  the  fact  remains 
that  there  are  more  unpleasant  things  than  to 
be  overpraised  for  what  one  has  done.  Her 
mother's  air  of  radiant  pride,  the  satisfaction  the 
other  girls  took  in  the  highly  decorated  account 
of  the  exploit,  even  the  reporter's  superfluous 
adjectives  were  not  without  their  agreeable 
side.  When  the  departure  of  the  girls  with  the 
rustling  newspapers  left  the  house  to  its  cus- 
tomary quiet,  Elaine  was  aware  of  an  in- 
consistent, and  thoroughly  inexplicable  im- 
pression that  something  very  pleasant  had  hap- 
pened. 

The  peremptory  ringing  of  the  telephone 
bell  interrupted  Elaine's  supper.  Mrs.  Mar- 
shall and  Grace  listened  to  the  following  one- 
sided conversation. 

"  Yes,  yes,  it's  the  same  one." 

"  Why,  I  didn't  know." 

"  O,  it  was  dreadfully  exaggerated.  It  really 
wasn't  anything." 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  339 

"  No  indeed.    I  feel  as  well  as  ever." 

"  She's  very  well,  thank  you,  and  Grace  too." 

"  I'm  sure  we're  glad  to  know  our  friends 
haven't  forgotten  us." 

"  0,  we'd  be  so  pleased  to  see  you  any  time. 
0,  thank  you,  very  much.  Good  night." 

When  she  had  hung  up  the  receiver  she 
turned  a  luminous  face  upon  her  family. 
"  What  do  you  think,"  she  cried  tremulously. 
"  That  was  Mrs.  Winthrop." 

"  Not  Mrs.  Littleton  Winthrop ! "  Mrs.  Mar- 
shall set  down  her  tea-cup,  her  hand  shaking. 

"  Yes.  She  had  read  that  ridiculous  account 
in  the  paper,  and  she  said  the  nicest  things. 
And  she  and  Vivian  are  coming  to  see  us  very 
soon.  O,  dear,  I'm  too  excited  to  eat." 

But  the  excitements  of  the  evening  were 
not  over  by  any  means.  Shortly  after  eight 
o'clock,  a  motor  coughed  outside  the  door. 
There  was  a  sound  of  feet  on  the  walk  and  then 
a  ring  at  the  bell  which  somehow  suggested 
that  somebody  who  knew  exactly  what  he 
wanted  had  his  finger  on  the  button. 

Elaine  opened  the  door,  for  enough  of  Grace's 
shrinking  remained  so  that  she  found  that 


340    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

simple  office  difficult.  A  plump,  red-cheeked 
gentleman,  who  looked  rather  like  an  under- 
study for  Santa  Glaus,  greeted  her  with  some- 
thing more  than  cordiality. 

"Elaine  Marshall!  Well,  upon  my  word! 
You've  grown  almost  out  of  knowledge."  He 
put  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder  and  gave  her 
a  smacking  kiss  on  the  cheek  nearest  him. 
"  That's  for  the  heroine,"  he  said.  "  Mother 
in?  And  Grace?  Good.  First  rate." 

He  had  his  arm  about  the  girl's  shoulder  when 
he  walked  into  the  living-room,  where  Mrs. 
Marshall  and  Grace  had  sprung  to  their  feet 
at  the  sound  of  his  voice,  and  he  held  Elaine 
firmly  while  he  shook  hands  with  the  others. 
Then  he  seated  himself,  stroking  his  snowy 
beard,  and  looking  about  him  with  eyes  that 
twinkled  serenely.  He  looked  more  like  Santa 
Glaus  than  ever. 

"  Look  here,"  he  said.  "  I'm  not  going  to 
scold.  That  isn't  my  way.  But  for  you  to 
hide  yourselves  away  from  your  friends  isn't 
a  square  deal,  you  know.  I  could  say  consider- 
able on  the  subject  if  I  were  that  sort  of  a 
man.  But  as  long  as  our  little  heroine  here  —  " 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  341 

"  Little!  "  cried  Elaine,  her  indignation  over 
the  adjective  eclipsing  for  the  time  being  her 
modest  reluctance  to  accept  the  noun. 

"  Has  given  me  the  clue  to  your  where- 
abouts," continued  the  visitor,  ignoring  the 
interruption.  "  We'll  let  bygones  be  bygones." 

The  talk  turned  to  less  delicate  topics. 
But  presently  the  caller,  who  gave  increasing 
evidence  of  being  a  man  who  knew  his  own 
mind,  turned  on  Grace  with  a  question. 

"  Given  up  the  idea  of  finishing  your  college 
course?  " 

"  O,  yes,  Mr.  Clement." 

"  Why?  " 

Grace  hesitated.  "  If  there  were  no  other 
reason,"  she  said  at  last,  in  a  low  voice,  "  the 
question  of  expense  would  settle  it." 

"  That's  what  I  fancied.  Suppose  you  start 
in  next  fall,  and  send  your  bill  to  me." 

"  But,  Mr.  Clement  —  " 

"  It's  good  business  sense,  Grace.  A  thing 
half  done  is  undone,  and  that's  all  you  can  say. 
Go  ahead  and  get  your  education.  Fit  yourself 
for  the  work  you  like,  and  the  work  you  want 
to  do." 


342    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

"  But,  Mr.  Clement,  I  wouldn't  think  of 
accepting  —  " 

"  Stop  right  there,  my  dear.  You're  going 
to  talk  nonsense  about  being  under  obligations 
and  that  sort  of  thing.  Your  father  and  I 
were  friends  in  our  boyhood  and  it  was  the 
sort  of  friendship  that  stood  by  in  a  rough  sea. 
More  than  once  your  father  has  come  to  my 
help  when  his  name  on  my  note  was  all  that 
stood  between  me  and  bankruptcy."  Santa 
Glaus  took  out  his  handkerchief  and  blew  his 
nose  violently.  "  And  after  that  if  his  daughter 
had  a  silly  pride  which  wouldn't  allow  her  to 
accept  my  help  in  making  as  much  of  herself 
as  possible,  I  should  be  driven  to  conclude 
that  she  wasn't  worthy  the  name  she  bears." 

Elaine  looked  at  her  sister  furtively,  and 
something  she  saw  in  Grace's  face  made  her 
heart  flutter  with  a  glad  expectancy  so  keen  as 
to  be  almost  pain.  Grace's  brow  was  knit,  and 
her  face  was  pale,  visible  signs  of  an  inner 
battle.  Elaine  breathed  hard,  guessing  the 
tremendous  importance  of  the  struggle,  and 
the  significance  of  victory. 

"  I've  grounds  for  being  very  angry,"  Mr. 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  343 

Clement  went  on  with  his  whimsical  smile. 
"  When  the  three  of  you  disappeared  without 
a  word  or  sign,  I  was  hurt,  and  many  of  your 
friends  felt  as  I  did.  I  tried  to  make  myself 
think  that  you  would  write  me  soon,  but  the 
weeks  and  months  went  by,  and  not  a  line  from 
any  of  you.  I  had  a  right  to  be  angry,  and  I 
was.  However,  I'm  not  a  man  to  continue 
bringing  up  old  scores.  We'll  call  it  square, 
Grace,  if  you'll  close  with  my  offer.  What  do 
you  say?  Is  it  a  bargain?  " 

His  compelling  eyes  were  on  her.  For  a 
moment  he  looked  less  like  Santa  Glaus  than 
some  old  viking,  fearless  of  tempestuous  seas, 
accustomed  to  conquest.  As  Grace's  troubled 
gaze  met  his  a  curious  change  was  apparent  in 
her  face,  as  if  a  spark  of  his  resolution  had  fired 
hers. 

"  I'll  —  I'll  do  it,  Mr.  Clement,"  she  faltered, 
and  checked  herself  quickly,  as  if  frightened  by 
the  rashness  of  her  own  promise.  But  Mr. 
Clement  gave  her  no  time  for  wavering. 

"  Done! "  he  cried,  and  catching  the  frail 
hand  in  his  he  shook  it  heartily.  "  And  this 
spring  and  summer  devote  yourself  to  getting 


344    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

a  little  color,  and  putting  a  few  pounds  of 
flesh  wherever  you  need  them  most.  If  you're 
not  careful,  this  little  sister  of  yours  will  be 
putting  on  airs,  and  ordering  you  about  just 
because  she's  the  biggest." 

It  was  not  early  when  Mr.  Clement  left, 
but,  in  spite  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  Elaine 
yielded  to  an  overwhelming  desire  to  see  Peggy. 
It  was  to  Peggy  alone  that  she  had  confided 
her  great  unhappiness,  and  it  seemed  to  her 
that  she  could  not  sleep  unless  Peggy  had  heard 
the  good  news,  the  wonderful  sequel  to  the 
incident  which  had  made  the  close  of  the  pre- 
vious week  eventful. 

Elaine  framed  some  excuse  for  a  late  call  on 
Peggy  which  she  herself  had  forgotten  as  soon 
as  the  door  shut  behind  her,  and  made  her 
way  across  the  dewy  grass.  Overhead  the 
stars  twinkled  in  friendly  fashion.  The  splen- 
did winter  constellations  had  given  place  to 
the  less  showy  pageant  of  the  summer,  but  it 
flashed  across  Elaine's  mind  that  she  had  never 
before  dreamed  there  were  so  many  stars. 
The  sky  seemed  golden  with  them. 

Peggy,  upstairs  in  her  own  room,  struggling 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  345 

with  an  essay  due  the  end  of  the  week,  looked 
up  Amazed  at  an  Elaine  to  whom  she  had 
never  been  introduced.  For  the  new  stars 
which  Elaine  had  seen  flashing  in  the  sky, 
were  only  reflected  from  her  shining  eyes. 
Her  radiant  face  prepared  Peggy  for  the  best 
news  that  could  be  spoken. 

"O,  Peggy!  What  do  you  think?  Grace 
is  going  back  to  college." 

"  To  college!  "  Peggy's  sympathy  was  never 
of  the  half-hearted  sort.  Now  the  two  words 
fairly  tinkled  as  she  spoke  them,  as  if  Elaine 
had  announced  some  tremendous  good  fortune 
which  had  befallen  Peggy  herself. 

"  An  old  friend  of  papa's,  Mr.  Clement, 
is  going  to  send  her.  And,  0,  Peggy,  another 
old  friend,  Mrs.  Winthrop,  called  up  while 
we  were  eating  supper.  She  had  seen  that 
account  in  the  paper  and  was  so  sweet  about 
it.  I'm  afraid  that  perhaps  we  weren't 
just  fair  to  the  people  we  used  to  know. 
Perhaps  they  were  better  friends  than  we 
thought." 

"  Of  course,"  cried  Peggy.  "  People  are 
almost  always  better  than  you  think.  The 


346    THE  GIRLS  OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

things  that  seem  horrid  can  generally  be 
explained." 

"  And  isn't  it  funny!  "  Elaine  found  in  a 
burst  of  laughter  the  relief  that  might  as  easily 
have  come  through  tears.  "  All  this  wouldn't 
have  happened,  if  it  hadn't  been  for  those 
blessed  Dunns." 

Peggy  jumped,  as  if  the  name  had  touched  a 
nerve.  "  O,  I've  just  been  aching  to  tell  you 
that  Isabel  was  going  to  stay." 

"  To  stay?  " 

"  Jimmy  came  over  and  told  me  just  before 
supper.  That  farmer's  wife  came  in  bright  and 
early  this  morning.  She  wanted  to  keep  Isabel, 
and  Jimmy  said  his  mother  was  willing,  because 
it  would  be  one  less  to  take  care  of.  There's 
a  sad  side  to  it,"  Peggy  concluded,  her  bright 
face  falling,  "  to  think  that  the  mother  of  any 
child  would  give  her  up  as  easy  as  that,  but 
I  can't  help  being  glad  that  little  Isabel  will 
grow  up  with  grass  and  flowers  around  her,  and 
plenty  to  eat,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  things  they 
don't  have  on  Glen  Echo  Avenue." 

Elaine  had  risen  to  go.  "I  feel  like  staying 
and  talking  all  night  but  I  must  get  to  bed  and 


AN  UNEXPECTED  VISITOR  347 

be  ready  for  my  work  to-morrow.  Yes,  indeed. 
I'm  awfully  glad  about  little  Isabel.  It  seems  as 
if  everything  was  turning  out  right  for  every- 
body." 

"  It's  a  pretty  good  world  after  all,"  smiled 
Peggy,  voicing  a  favorite  theory. 

The  words  rang  in  Elaine  ?s  ears  as  again  she 
sped  across  the  dewy  clover  under  the  spangled 
sky.  "  Of  course,"  she  told  herself.  "  How 
could  it  help  being  a  good  world  as  long  as  it 
has  such  people  as  Peggy  Raymond  in  it?  " 


THE   END. 


BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 

THE  LITTLE   COLONEL  BOOKS 

(Trade  Mark) 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 
Eachlvol.,largel2mo,cloth,illustrated,pervol.      .      $1.60 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  STORIES 

(Trade  Mark) 

Being  three  "  Little  Colonel  "  stories  in  the  Cosy  Corner 
Series,  "  The  Little  Colonel,  "  "  Two  Little  Knights  of 
Kentucky,"  and  "  The  Giant  Scissors,"  in  a  single  volume. 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  HOUSE  PARTY 

(Trade  Mark) 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  HOLIDAYS 

(Trade  Mark) 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  HERO 

(Trade  Mark) 

THE   LITTLE   COLONEL  AT   BOARDING- 

(Trade  Mark) 

SCHOOL 
THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  IN  ARIZONA 

(Trade  Mark) 

THE    LITTLE     COLONEL'S     CHRISTMAS 

(Trade  Mark; 

VACATION 
THE  LITTLE  COLONEL,  MAID  OF  HONOR 

(Trade  Mark) 

THE  LITTLE  COLONEL'S  KNIGHT  COMES 

(Trade  Mark) 

RIDING 
MARY   WARE:   THE    LITTLE  COLONEL'S 

CHUM 

MARY  WARE  IN  TEXAS 
MARY  WARE'S   PROMISED   LAND 
These  12  volumes,  boxed  as  a  set,  $18.00. 
A-l 


L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANVS 


THE  LITTLE  COLONEL 

(Trade  Mark) 

TWO   LITTLE  KNIGHTS  OF  KENTUCKY 
THE  GIANT  SCISSORS 
BIG  BROTHER 

Special  Holiday  Editions 

Each  one  volume,  cloth  decorative,  small  quarto,  $1.25 
New  plates,  handsomely  illustrated  with  eight  full-page 
drawings  in  color,  and  many  marginal  sketches. 

IN  THE  DESERT  OF  WAITING:  THE  LEGENB 
OF  CAMELBACK  MOUNTAIN. 

THE  THREE  WEAVERS:  A  FAIRY  TALE  FOB 
FATHERS  AND  MOTHERS  AS  WELL  AS  FOR  THEIR 
DAUGHTERS. 

KEEPING  TRYST 

THE  LEGEND  OF  THE  BLEEDING  HEART 

THE  RESCUE  OF  PRINCESS  WINSOME: 
A  FAIRY  PLAY  FOR  OLD  AND  YOUNG. 

THE  JESTER'S  SWORD 

Each  one  volume,  tall  16mo,  cloth  decorative      .      $0.50 

Paper  boards .35 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  for  publication  in 
separate  form  of  these  six  stories  which  were  originally 
included  in  six  of  the  "  Little  Colonel  '  books. 

JOEL:  A  BOY  OF  GALILEE:  BY  ANNIE  FELLOWS 

JOHNSTON.    Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 
New  illustrated  edition,  uniform  with  the  Little  Colonel 
Books,  1  vol.,  large  12mo,  cloth  decorative          .      $1 .50 
A  story  of  the  time  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the  author's 
best-known  books. 

A— 2 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  GOOD  TIMES  BOOK 

Uniform  in  size  with  the  Little  Colonel  Series    .     $1 .50 
Bound  in  white  kid  (morocco)  and  gold      .        .       3 . 00 
Cover  design  and  decorations  by  Peter  Verberg. 
Published  in  response  to  many  inquiries  from  readers 
of  the  Little  Colonel  books  as  to  where  they  could  obtain 
a  "  Good  Times  Book  "  such  as  Betty  kept. 
THE  LITTLE   COLONEL  DOLL  BOOK 

Large  quarto,  boards $1 . 50 

A  series  of  <;  Little  Colonel  "  dolls.    There  are  many  of 
them  and  each  has  several  changes  of  costume,  so  that 
the  happy  group  can  be  appropriately  clad  for  the  re- 
hearsal of  any  scene  or  incident  in  the  series. 
ASA   HOLMES;   OR,    AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS.      By 
AXXIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON. 
With  a  frontispiece  by  Ernest  Fosbery. 

Large  16mo,  cloth,  gilt  top $1.00 

"  '  Asa  Holmes;  or,  At  the  Cross-Roada '  is  the  most 
delightful,  most  sympathetic  and  wholesome  book  that 
has  been  published  in  a  long  while."  —  Boston  Times. 
TRAVELERS   FIVE:   ALONG   LIFE'S  HIGH- 
WAY.   By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON. 
With  an  introduction  by  Bliss  Carman,  and  a  frontis- 
piece by  E.  H.  Garrett. 

Cloth  decorative $1.25 

"  Mrs.  Johnston's  .  .  .  are  of  the  character  that  cause 

the  mind  to  grow  gravely  meditative,  the  eyes  to  shine 

with  tender  mist,  and  the  heart  strings  to  stir  to  strange, 

sweet  music  of  human  sympathy."  —  Los  Angeles  Graphic, 

THE   RIVAL   CAMPERS;    OR,   THE  ADVENTURES 

OF  HEXRY  BURNS.    By  RUEL  PERLEY  SMITH. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    .        .     $1 . 50 

A  story  of  a  party  of  typical  American  lads,  courageous, 

alert,  and  athletic,  who  spend  a  summer  camping  on  an 

island  off  the  Maine  coast. 

THE    RIVAL    CAMPERS   AFLOAT;     OR,   THB 
PRIZE  YACHT  VIKING.    By  RUEL  PERLEY  SMITH. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    .        .     $1.50 
This  book  is  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of  "  The 
Rival  Campers  "  on  their  prize  yacht  Viking. 
A— 3 


L.    C.   PACE   &>    COMPANY'S 


THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS  ASHORE 

By  RUEL  PERLEY  SMITH. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    .        .     $1 . 50 

"  As  interesting  ashore  as  when  afloat."  —  The  Interior. 

THE  RIVAL  CAMPERS  AMONG  THE 
OYSTER  PIRATES;  OR,  JACK  HARVEY'S  ADVEN- 
TURES. By  RUEL  PERLEY  SMITH.  Illustrated  .  $1.50 
"  Just  the  type  of  book  which  is  most  popular  with  lads 

who  are  in  their  early  teens."  —  The  Philadelphia  Item. 

A  TEXAS  BLUE  BONNET 

By  CAROLINE  EMILIA  JACC^  (EMILIA  ELLIOTT). 

12mo,  illustrated $1.50 

"  The  book's  heroine  Blue  Bonnet  has  the  very  finest 
kind  of  wholesome,  honest  lively  girlishness  and  cannot 
but  make  friends  with  every  one  who  meets  her  through 
the  book  as  medium."  —  Chicago  Inter-Ocean. 

BLUE  BONNET'S  RANCH  PARTY 

A  Sequel  to  "A  Texas  Blue  Bonnet."     By  CAROLINE 
ELLIOTT  JACOBS  and  EDYTH  ELLERBECK  READ. 

12mo,  illustrated $1.50 

The  new  story  begins  where  the  first  volume  leaves  off 
and  takes  Blue  Bonnet  and  the  "  We  Are  Seven  Club  " 
to  the  ranch  in  Texas.  The  tables  are  completely  turned: 
Blue  Bonnet  is  here  in  her  natural  element,  while  her 
friends  from  Woodford  have  to  learn  the  customs  and 
traditions  of  another  world. 

THE  GIRLS   OF  FRIENDLY  TERRACE 

OR,  PEGGY  RAYMOND'S  SUCCESS.     By  HARRIET  LUM- 

MIS  SMITH. 

12mo,  illustrated      .  $1 . 50 

This  is  a  book  that  will  gladden  the  hearts  of  many 
girl  readers  because  of  its  charming  air  of  comradeship 
and  reality.  It  is  a  very  interesting  group  of  girls  who 
live  on  Friendly  Terrace  and  their  good  times  and  other 
times  are  graphically  related  by  the  author,  who  shows 
a  sympathetic  knowledge  of  girl  character. 

A— 4 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


FAMOUS  LEADERS  SERIES 

By  CHARLES  H.  L.  JOHNSTON 

Each,  large  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated        .     $1 . 50 

FAMOUS   CAVALRY  LEADERS 

Biographical  sketches,  with  anecdotes  and  reminiscenses, 

of  the  heroes  of  history  who  were  leaders  of  cavalry. 
"  More  of  slach  books  should  be  written,  books  that 

acquaint  young  readers  with  historical  personages  in  a 

pleasant  informal  way."  —  N.  Y.  Sun. 

FAMOUS  INDIAN   CHIEFS 

In  this  book  Mr.  Johnston  gives  interesting  sketches  of 

the  Indian  braves  who  have  figured  with  prominence  in 

the  history  of  our  own  land. 

FAMOUS   PRIVATEERSMEN   AND   ADVEN- 
TURERS OF  THE   SEA 
In  this  volume  Mr.  Johnston  tells  interesting  stories 

about  the  famous  sailors  of  fortune. 

FAMOUS    SCOUTS 

"  It  is  the  kind  of  a  book  that  will  have  a  great  fascina- 
tion for  boys  and  young  men  and  while  it  entertains  them 
it  will  also  present  valuable  information  in  regard  to  those 
who  have  left  their  impress  upon  the  history  of  the  country. 
—  TRe  New  London  Day. 

THE  YOUNG  PIONEER  SERIES 

By  HARRISON  ADAMS 

Each,  large  I2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated          .     $1.25 
THE   PIONEER  BOYS  OF  THE   OHIO;  OR, 

CLEARING  THE  WILDERNESS. 

Boys  will  follow  with  ever  increasing  interest  the  for- 
tunes of  Bob  and  Sandy  Armstrong  in  their  hunting  and 
trapping  expeditions,  and  in  their  adventures  with  the 
Indians. 
THE  PIONEER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES ; 

OR,  ON  THE  TRAIL  OF  THE  IROQUOIS. 

In  this  story  are  introduced  all  of  the  principal  charac- 
ters of  the  first  volume,  and  Bob  and  Sandy  learn  much 
of  life  in  the  open  from  the  French  trappers  and  coureurs 
du  bois. 
A— 5 


L.   C.    PAGE  &>    COMPANY'S 


BEAUTIFUL  JOE'S  PARADISE;  OR,  THE  ISLAND 
OF  BROTHERLY  LOVE.    A  Sequel  to  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS,  author  of  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
One  vol.,  library  12mo,  cloth  illustrated     .        .     $1 . 50 
"  This  book  revives  the  spirit  of  '  Beautiful  Joe '  capi- 
tally.   It  is  fairly  riotous  with  fun,  and  is  about  as  unusual 
as  anything  in  the  animal  book  line  that  has  seen  the 
light."  —  Philadelphia  Item. 
'TILDA   JANE.       By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS. 
One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
"  It  is  one  of  those  exquisitely  simple  and  truthful  books 
that  win  and  charm  the  reader,  and  I  did  not  put  it  down 
until  I  had  finished  it  —  honest!   And  I  am  sure  that  every 
one,  young  or  old,  who  reads  will  be  proud  and  happy  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  the  delicious  waif. 

"  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  book  for  children  than 
this.     I  commend  it  unreservedly."  —  Cyrus  T.  Brady. 
'TILDA  JANE'S   ORPHANS.    A  Sequel  to '"Tilda 
Jane."    By  MARSHALL  SAUNDERS. 
One  vol.,  12mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth  decorative,  $1.50 
'Tilda  Jane  is  the  same  original,  delightful  girl,  and  as 
fond  of  her  animal  pets  as  ever. 

"  There  is  so  much  to  this  story  that  it  is  almost  a  novel 
—  in  fact  it  is  better  than  many  novels,  although  written 
for  only  young  people.  Compared  with  much  of  to-day's 
juveniles  it  is  quite  a  superior  book."  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

THE    STORY     OF    THE    GRAVELYS.      By 

MARSHALL    SAUNDERS,    author   of    "  Beautiful    Joe's 

Paradise,"  "  'Tilda  Jane,"  etc. 

Library  12mo,  cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  E.  B. 

Barry $1.50 

Here  we  have  the  haps  and  mishaps,  the  trials  and 
triumphs,  of  a  delightful  New  England  family. 
BORN  TO  THE  BLUE.     By  FLORENCE  KIMBALL 

RUSSEL. 

12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .       .       .     $1.25 

The  atmosphere  of  army  life  on  the  plains  breathes  on 

every  page  of  this  delightful  tale.    The  boy  is  the  son  of  a 

captain  of  U.  S.  cavalry  stationed  at  a  frontier  post  in  the 

days  when  our  regulars  earned  the  gratitude  of  a  nation. 

A— 6 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


IN  WEST  POINT  GRAY 

By  FLORENCE  KIM  BALL  RUSSEL. 
12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated        .        .  $1.50 

"  Singularly  enough  one  of  the  beet  books  of  the  year 
for  boys  is  written  by  a  woman  and  deals  with  life  at  West 
Point.  The  presentment  of  life  in  the  famous  military 
academy  whence  so  many  heroes  have  graduated  is  realistic 
and  enjoyable."  —  New  York  Sun. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  FARM  STORIES 

By  WILLIAM  J.  HOPKINS.     With  fifty  illustrations  by 

Ada  Clendenin  Williamson. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover        ....      $1.50 

"  An  amusing,  original  book,  written  for  the  benefit  of 
very  small  children.  It  should  be  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  the  year's  books  for  reading  to  small  children."  — 
Buffalo  Express. 

THE  SANDMAN:    MORE  FARM  STORIES 

By  WILLIAM  J.  HOPKINS. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated      $1.50 

Mr.  Hopkins's  first  essay  at  bedtime  stories  met  with 

such  approval  that  this  second  book  of  "  Sandman  "  tales 

was  issued  for  scores  of  eager  children.    Life  on  the  farm, 

and  out-of-doors,  is  portrayed  in  his  inimitable  manner. 

THE    SANDMAN:     HIS    SHIP    STORIES 

By  WILLIAM  J.  HOPKINS,  author  of  "  The  Sandman: 
His  Farm  Stories,"  etc. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated     $1.50 
"  Children  call  for  these  stories  over  and  over  again."  — 
Chicago    Evening  Post. 

THE  SANDMAN:  HIS  SEA  STORIES 

By  WILLIAM  J.  HOPKINS. 

Large  12mo,  decorative  cover,  fully  illustrated      $1.50 

Each  year  adds  to  the  popularity  of  this  unique  series 

of  stories  to  be  read  to  the  ':*tle  ones  at  bed  time  and  at 

other  times. 

A— 7 


L.  C.  PAGE  &   COMPANY'S 


THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE  GIRL 

By  MARION  AMES  TAGGART. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .  $1.50 

A  thoroughly  enjoyable  tale  of  a  little  girl  and  her  com- 
rade  father,  written  in  a  delightful  vein  of  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  the  child's  point  of  view. 

"  The  characters  are  strongly  drawn  with  a  life-like  real- 
ism, the  incidents  are  well  and  progressively  sequenced, 
and  the  action  is  so  well  timed  that  the  interest  never 
slackens."  —  Boston  Ideas. 

SWEET  NANCY 

THE  FURTHER  ADVENTURES  OF  THE  DOCTOR'S  LITTLE 

GIRL.    By  MARION  AMES  TAGGART. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated        .        .        .     $1.50 

In  the  new  book,  the  author  tells  how  Nancy  becomes 
hi  fact  "  the  doctor's  assistant,"  and  continues  to  shed 
happiness  around  her. 

NANCY,    THE    DOCTOR'S    LITTLE    PART- 
NER 

By  MARION  AMES  TAGGART. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .     $1.50 
In  Nancy  Porter,  Miss  Taggart  has  created  one  of  the 
most  lovable  child  characters  in  recent  years.     In  the 
new  story  she  is  the  same  bright  and  cheerful  little  maid. 

NANCY  PORTER'S  OPPORTUNITY 

By  MARION  AMES  TAGGART. 

One  vol.,  library  12mo,  illustrated       .        .        .     $1.50 
Already  as  the  "  doctor's  partner  "  Nancy  Porter  has 
won  the  affection  of  her  readers,  and  in  the  same  lovable 
manner  she  continues  in  the  new  book  to  press  the  key- 
notes of  optimism  and  good-will. 

ALMA  AT  HADLEY  HALL 

By  LOUISE  BREITENBACH. 

One  vol.,  12mo,  illustrated $1.50 

"  This  delightful  tale  of  boarding-school  life  is  one  that 
cannot  fail  to  appeal  to  the  lover  of  good  things  in  girls' 
books.  It  will  take  rank  for  its  naturalness  and  truth." 
—  Portland  Press. 

A— 8 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


GABRIEL  AND  THE  HOUR  BOOK 

By  EVALEEN  STEIN. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  deco- 
rated in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart     .        .        .     $1 . 00 
Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who 
assisted  the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 
"  No  works  in  juvenile  fiction  contain  BO  many  of  the 
elements  that  stir  the  hearts  of  children  and  grown-ups  as 
well  as  do  the  stories  so  admirably  told  by  this  author." 
—  Louisville  Daily  Courier. 

A  LITTLE  SHEPHERD  OF  PROVENCE 

By  EVALEEN  STEIN. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated  by  Diantha  H.  Marlowe     $1 .25 

"  The  story  should  be  one  of  the  influences  in  the  life 

of  every  child  to  whom  good  stories  can  be  made  to 

appeal."  —  Public  Ledger. 

THE  LITTLE  COUNT  OF  NORMANDY 

By  EVALEEN  STEIN. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated  by  John  Goss        .      .      $1.25 
"  This  touching  and  pleasing  story  is  told  with  a  wealth 
of  interest  coupled  with  enlivening  descriptions  of  the 
country  where  its  scenes  are  laid  and  of  the  people  there- 
of." —  Wilmington  Every  Evening. 

ALYS-ALL-ALONE 

By  UNA  MACDONALD. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated  .       .        .        .        .        .     $1.50 

"  This  is  a  most  delightful,  well-written,  heart-stirring, 

happy  ending  story,  which  will  gladden  the  heart  of  many 

a  reader."  —  Scranton  Times. 

ALYS   IN   HAPPYLAND.     A  Sequel   to  "  Alys-All 
Alone."    By  UNA  MACDONALD. 

Cloth,  12mo,  illustrated $1.50 

"  The  book  is  written  with  that  taste  and  charm  that 
prepare  younger  readers  for  the  appreciation  of  good  litera- 
ture when  they  are  older."  —  Chicago  Tribune. 

A— 9 


L.   C.  PAGE  &>   COMPANY'S 


THE  RED  FEATHERS.  By  G.  E.  T.  RoBE*ra. 
Cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .  .  .  .  $1.50 
"  The  Red  Feathers  "  tells  of  the  remarkable  adventures 

of  an  Indian  boy  who  lived  in  the  Stone  Age,  many  years 

ago,  when  the  world  was  young. 

FLYING  PLOVER.    By  G.  E.  THEODORE  ROBERTS. 
Cloth  decorative.      Illustrated  by  Charles   Livingston 

Bull  $1.00 

Squat-By-The-Fire  is  a  very  old  and  wise  Indian  who 

lives  alone  with  her  grandson,  "  Flying  Plover,"  to  whom 

she  tells  the  stories  each  evening. 

COMRADES    OF    THE    TRAILS.      By  G.  E. 

THEODORE  ROBERTS. 

Cloth  decorative.     Illustrated  by  Charles  Livingston 

Bull $1.50 

The  story  of  a  fearless  young  English  lad,  Dick  Ramsey, 
who,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  crosses  the  seas  and 
takes  up  the  life  of  a  hunter  in  the  Canadian  forests. 

MARCHING    WITH    MORGAN.      How  DONALD 

LOVELL  BECAME  A  SOLDIER  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 
By  JOHN  V.  LANE. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         ....       $1.50 
This  is  a  splendid  boy's  story  of  the  expedition  of 
Montgomery  and  Arnold  against  Quebec. 

RODNEY,  THE  RANGER  OR,  WITH  DANIEL 
MORGAN  ON  TRAIL  AND  BATTLEFIELD.  By  JOHN  V. 
LANE. 

Cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .        .        .        .      $1.50 
Young  Rodney  Allison,  although  but  fifteen  years  of 
age,  played  a  man's  part  in   the  troublous  times  pre- 
ceding the  American  Revolution  and  hi  the  War  itself. 

THE  YOUNG  APPRENTICE;   OR,  ALLAN  WEST'S 
CHUM.    By  BURTON  E.  STEVENSON. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  dec  rative,  illustrated        .     $1.50 
In  this  book  Mr.  Stevenson  takes  up  a  new  branch  of 

railroading,  namely,  the  work  of  the  "  Shops." 

A— 10 


BOOK'S  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 


THE    YOUNG   SECTION-HAND;    OR,  THE  AD- 

VENTURES  OF  ALLAN  WEST.    By  BURTON  E.  STEVENSON. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated   .        .     $1.50 
Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  is 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrilling. 
THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  DISPATCHER.  By  BUR- 
TON E.  STEVENSON. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  .       .     $1.50 
"  A  better  book  for  boys  has  never  left  an  American 
press."  —  Springfield    Union. 

THE  YOUNG  TRAIN  MASTER.     By  BTTRTON  E. 
STEVENSON. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .     $1 . 50 
"  Nothing  better  in  the  way  of  a  book  of  adventure  for 
boys."  —  Boston  Herald. 

CAPTAIN  JACK  LORIMER;   By  WINN  STANDISH. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .     $1 . 50 
Jack  is  a  fine  example  of  the  American  high-school  boy. 
JACK  LORIMER'S  CHAMPIONS;   OR,  SPORTS 
ON  LAND  AND  LAKE.    By  WINN  STANDISH. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated       .     $1.50 
"It  is  exactly  the  sort  of  book  to  give  a  boy  interested 
in  athletics."  —  Chicago  Tribune. 
JACK  LORIMER'S  HOLIDAYS;  On,  MILLVALE 
HIGH  IN  CAMP.    By  WINN  STANDISH. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated         .     $1 . 50 
Full  of  just  the  kind  of  fun,  sports  and  adventure  to 
excite  the  healthy  minded  youngster  to  emulation. 
JACK  LORIMER'S  SUBSTITUTE:  OR,  THE  ACT- 
ING CAPTAIN  OF  THE  TEAM.    By  WINN  STANDISH. 
Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated          .     $1 . 50 
On  the  sporting  side,  this  book  takes  up  football,  wres- 
tling, and  tobogganing. 

JACK      LORIMER,    FRESHMAN.     By  WINN 
STANDISH. 

Square  12mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated 
This  book  is  typical  of  the  American  college  boys'  life 
and  is  a  lively  story. 

A— 11 


L.    C.   PAGE   <5r>   COMPANY'S 


THE  LITTLE  COUSIN  SERIES 

(Trade  Mark) 

Each  one  vol.,  12mo,  decorative  cover,  cloth,  with  full- 
page  illustrations  in  color.  Price  per  volume  .  $0 . 60 
By  MARY  HAZ ELTON  WADE  unless  otherwise  indicated 
Our  Little  African  Cousin  Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Alaskan  Cousin  Our  Little  Hindu  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet  By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Arabian  Cousin         Our  Little  Hungarian  Cousin 
By  Blanche  McManus     By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
Our  Little  Argentine  Cousin     Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 

By  Eva  Cannon  Brooks  Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin     Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Australian  Cousin    Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet  Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Belgian  Cousin         Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus  By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Bohemian  Cousin     Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Clara  V.  Winlow  By  Edward  C.  Butler 

Our  Little  Brazilian  Cousin       Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet  Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

Our  Little  Brown  Cousin  By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin      Our  Little  Persian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  Macdonald  By  E.  C.  Shedd 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin         Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland  Our  Little  Polish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin  By  Florence  E.  Mendel 

Our  Little  Danish  Cousin          Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 

By  Luna  May  Innes    Our  Little  Portuguese  Cousin 

Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin  By  Edith  A.  Sawyer 

By  Blanche  McManus  Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Egyptian  Cousin       Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus  By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin         Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 
By  Blanche  McManus  Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin  By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  French  Cousin          Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus  By  Claire  M.  Coburn 

Our  Little  German  Cousin         Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Grecian  Cousin         Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 
A— 12 


A     000129293 


